


Right Back To You

by DazzlingLoki2018



Series: Right Back To.... [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Aunt May Dies, Bucky Barnes & Tony Stark Friendship, Domestic Avengers, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, Irondad, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Tony Stark, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Reconciliation, Slow Build, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark has a daugther, Tony and Steve make-up, spiderson, stuckony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2020-04-18
Packaged: 2020-07-19 19:27:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 22
Words: 49,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19979275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DazzlingLoki2018/pseuds/DazzlingLoki2018
Summary: Tony Stark never imagined he would be a father. After his breakup with Pepper and subsequent withdraw from dating, Tony figured he would never have kids. That is until one night he finds a four year old sitting in his living room with a note. Tony is flung into parenthood and that's not the end of it. A fatal accident leaves Peter Parker an orphan and Tony steps forward to take responsibility. With the rogue Avengers back in New York and impending trouble, Tony must learn how to juggle being a parent while also maintaining the rest of his responsibilities as Tony Stark and Ironman.





	1. Intial Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So this is a bit of a different take on Tony adopting Peter, this idea came to me randomly while I was re-watching some of the older Marvel movies. I hope you guys enjoy this! It might turn into a universe so stay tuned for any other works. Comments are welcome and kudos give me brain fuel. I promise I'll try to post on this regularly. And if you are reading my Supernatural collection I will be posting there very soon. I'm going to mass post the first seven chapters, and I will be updating as I write each new chapter.  
> -Daz :)

Tony never really liked the plethora of events and parties he was expected to attend. He hated it as a teen and young child, and he hates it to this day. The only reason he endures it is to please the endless line of upper-class individuals. All of them vying for his attention -and in many cases, his affection, or more accurately, his money.

Usually, he can show up for a few hours at most, exchange some obligatory pleasantries with the hosts, chat up some guests, and disappear, often with a lady on his arm. But that was before Afghanistan and everything that followed with the Avengers.

It has been about six months since everything turned sour with the team and Captain America and a handful of other Avengers were deemed, outlaws. Tony was still struggling with the Accords, trying to find a fair middle ground, but things were slow going. Tony changed significantly after everything that happened, and he's not quite sure it's for the better.

This particular event was yet another gathering of various political figures, and Tony was itching to leave. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of the events that he could shirk and not get an earful from Pepper. Despite their breakup, the woman kept her job and still works on keeping SI -and Tony- in line avidly. That includes ensuring Tony doesn't skip out on one of these critical events. As for Tony, he hasn't dated anyone since and is honestly still broken up over her. However, he keeps things professional between the two of them, never letting their failed relationship interfere with work.

It's close to midnight by the time he manages to get away, and it's closing in on thirty after by the time he gets back to the penthouse. He parks his car and heads inside, taking the elevator straight upstairs.

He steps into the penthouse, expecting to be greeted by a dark, empty room, but he instead finds the lights on and the quiet sound of the television from the living room.

Tony steps forward a bit, peering around the room carefully. At first, he sees nor hears anyone within the open space, but his attention is quickly drawn by a quiet cough. He pivots to face the couch and is shocked to see a pair of brown eyes accompanied by dark-colored hair peeking over the top of the cushions.

The girl is young, nor more than four years old, and for a moment, Tony is taken off guard by how familiar the entirely unfamiliar child looks. For a moment, neither of them speaks, instead opting to stare blankly at the other. Finally, Tony breaks the silence.

"Who are you?" he asks quietly if a bit harsh, still entirely off-kilter by the sudden surprise.

"Aniyah." She remains where she is, watching Tony move across the room slowly, eyes alight with a mixture of curiosity and caution.

"Okay Aniyah," Tony says slowly, "my name's Tony. Now, what exactly are you doing in my home?" By this point, the young genius is standing by the couch, no more than three feet from the child. He receives no reply, and after a few moments, he glances at the ceiling.

"FRIDAY?" he asks, curious as to how this child managed to get into the penthouse in the first place.

"Miss. Aniyah was left here by what I assume was her mother. She had the access codes to override my initial barrier against her entry and after she situated Miss. Aniyah on the couch she left."

Aniyah jumps at the sudden voice, looking up in awe at the ceiling. "What was that?" she asks quietly, sounding both scared and awestruck.

"That is just my AI, FRIDAY," Tony says offhandedly.

Tony looks down and spots a note sitting on the coffee table. He picks up the note, unfolds the paper and begins to read.

Tony,

It pains me that I'm telling you this under such circumstances. I hoped I would have time to explain everything in detail before I left, but sometimes things don't always work out, I guess. I'm sure you don't remember me specifically, but we had relations a few months less than five years ago. I was passing through New York at the time, and we happened to cross paths at a party. A few weeks after I left New York, I found out I was pregnant with Aniyah. As you were the only one I have had relations within a great while, it came to the conclusion that she must be yours. I am unfortunately unable to care for her, and I plead that you will until I can return to get her. I'm sorry things have happened this way, and I hope you can forgive me. Please don't send her away, I will return to retrieve her as soon as I can.

Best regards,

Mary

P.S She's allergic to peanuts. All of her belongings are in the bag, including her stuffed animal and some pictures. She is attached to the stuffy so please don't lose it.

Tony stares blankly down at the paper for several moments, filled with a mixture of shock, anger, and disgust. "What kind of mother leaves her child with a stranger. No matter if he's supposedly the father," he mutters to himself as paces away, running his hands anxiously through his hair. "What am I going to do?" He paces for several minutes, struggling to formulate a logical plan on how to deal with this unforeseen issue.

Taking a deep breath, Tony looks over at Aniyah.

She is sitting quietly on the couch now, facing the television which has some sort of cartoon on. Her feet swing idly beneath her, brushing against a small bag every few moments. Tony crosses back over to her and gingerly sits on the couch.

"Aniyah," he says a bit awkwardly, for once missing his usual bravado. The girl turns and faces him, tilting her head to the side in an almost kitten-like way. "Who exactly left you here?"

"My mommy and her friend," she says simply, turning her head back to the television.

"Okay," Tony says before reaching for the remote and flicking it off "I need you to pay attention." The child turns and faces Tony fully, looking a bit put off by being interrupted but otherwise shows no outward response. "How long have you been here? " 

"Since after lunch." as she said this, her fingers idly pick at the worn shirt she is wearing.

"Okay, umm, just stay here. I have to call someone." as Tony says this, he flicks on the television again and walks away. Aniyah seems happy with this and turns to watch whatever show is on avidly. Tony heads over to the bar section of the room, angling his body so that he could keep an eye on the girl but still get a bit of privacy. With shaking hands, he pulls out his phone and quickly dialed a familiar number. The line picks up after two rings. 

"Hello?" the voice is sleepy, but Tony has never been gladder to hear it.

"Rhodey, it's Tony. I need you to get over here. Now." he says quickly, turning to look at Aniyah on the couch, relaxing a bit when he sees how involved she is.

"Tony, it's close to one in the morning. What can be so important?" Rhodey says on the other end, but Tony can distinctly the telltale sounds of him getting up.

"Just get over here. Please."

"Alright," his friend says with a sigh, "I'll be there in twenty."

"Thanks, Rhodey,"

He hangs up and lingers by the bar for a moment, before finally walking back over to the couch and dropping onto it. Aniyah barely acknowledges him, much too involved with her show. Minutes tick by though, and it soon becomes evident that the seemingly endless energy kids possess was running out. Ten minutes into the wait, Tony looks over and is relieved to see that the kid had nodded off, curled up on her side.

As promised, twenty minutes after he hung up, Rhodey was stepping off of the elevator. He looks around and spots Tony on the couch, and begins to walk over to him.

"Now what was so important that you drag me out of bed at this time of night?" he asks, only to freeze in shock when he spots the other occupant of the couch. His eyes glue themselves onto the young girl sleeping away peacefully before they peel away to look at Tony. "What...?"

The only thing Tony does is hand him the letter, gesturing silently for him to read it. The other man does so, and after he does, he paces away, rubbing his hand over his mouth.

"Tony, there is no way you're equipped to deal with this kid." Rhodey finally says, facing the other. "I mean, you're away nearly all day and a kid her age needs quite a bit of care and attention." he begins to pace away still listing off all of the reasons why it just wasn't a good idea and why he should contact CPS right then and there.

While he does this, Tony looks down at the sleeping girl just a foot away from him. A flood of conflicting emotions consumes him as he looks down at this child, his child, and suddenly he knows what he's going to do.

"I'm not giving her up Rhodey," he says quietly, causing his best friend to freeze in his tracks.

"Tony," Rhodey starts only to be cut off by a wave of the other’s hand.

"I'm not giving her up. I may not be the best of choices, but I am not going to just shove her into the system. I'm her father. I definitely have the resources to care for her, and it isn't impossible to work my schedule around. If worst comes to worst, I can just take her with me." he looks up at Rhodey who is staring at him like he has lost his mind. "Rhodey, I get how you're feeling. I know I'm not exactly parent material. But..." he looks down at Aniyah. "I want to try. I have to try. Mary said she would be back to get her, so I just have to last until then."

For a moment, silence reigns. Then, Rhodey shakes his head and lets out a small laugh. Tony looks up at him with a questioning look. His friend smiles slightly, leaning against the top of the couch to get a bit closer. "I still remember a time you would have shirked that responsibility off to someone else and continue on living your life. You've grown up Tones."

Tony rolls his eyes but grins, all the same, giving a shrug. "What can I say, you're starting to rub off on me." Rhodey chuckles before turning his attention to the sleeping child. "So, what's your plan?"

Tony sighs quietly, rubbing his hands through his hair. "I guess I'll call Pepper in the morning. Tell her I won't be in for the rest of this week. I can figure out everything else tomorrow, right now I need to get some sleep, and I guess I need to get her to a bed." the two of them look down at Aniyah before Rhodey moves around the couch to pick up the discarded bag.

He opens it up and inside is two sets of clothes and pajamas, a teddy bear, and a Ziploc bag with some hygiene items, some photos, and a stack of papers. He extracts a set of pajamas and puts the rest back into the bag, zipping it back up.

"You'll need to change her into this first," he says quietly, and he watches -with slight amusement- as Tony takes the pajamas and stares at them blankly.

"Umm, Rhodey, I don't know how to do this," Tony says, somewhat sheepishly, quite obviously way out of his comfort zone. 

"You just take off the other clothes and...." Rhodey trails off for a moment before he shakes his head. "I'll help you Tones," he says quietly before gesturing to Aniyah. "Pick her up, I'm guessing you want her in the extra bedroom beside yours?" 

"Uh, yeah, that would probably be best for now." Tony agrees, and Rhodey watches as he stands up and leans down, carefully -if a bit awkwardly- scooping Aniyah into a cradle position. Her head naturally falls to his shoulder as she subconsciously snuggles closer, seeking the warmth Tony provides. Tony stares down at the child with wide eyes, entirely out of his depth, but he pushes aside the feelings, instead choosing to circle the couch- heading for the stairs.

"FRIDAY turn the lights on, 30 percent," Tony says, and the lights slowly come to life, bright enough for them to see but not so bright as to bother Aniyah or hurt their eyes. He places Aniyah down on the bed carefully before picking up the pajama shirt.

Rhodey circles around to the other side of the bed and carefully lifts Aniyah into a seated position. He supports her with one hand and pulls off her shirt with the other.

"Slip the top over her head," he instructs, making sure to keep his voice quiet.

As Tony slips the top over Aniyah's head, Rhodey helps fit her arms through the sleeves. That done, Tony shifts closer to pull at the loose jeans, managing to get them off without disturbing Aniyah too much. The bottoms go on, shoes are extracted, and the clothes are tossed into a nearby laundry basket. Tony lifts Aniyah up, allowing Rhodey to pull back the covers, before settling her back onto the bed, head cushioned on a pillow. He pulls the covers back up, tucking them soundly around the sleeping girl, and steps away from the bed.

As he exits the room with Rhodey, he whispers a quiet "Lights off FRIDAY." and cracks the door after ensuring the lights flickered off. He then turns to Rhodey.

"Thanks, Rhodey. It means a lot," he mutters, rubbing his head slightly.

"Don't mention it." his friend replies, pulling him into a light hug. "I'll stop by tomorrow evening to see how you're getting on." Tony nods and gives a quick squeeze back before letting go and watching him disappear down the stairs. A moment later, the elevator doors slide open with a ding and close right after.

Tony stares at the cracked door before turning and heading to his own room. Within minutes he is unchanged and getting into his bed. "FRIDAY, I want you to tell me if she wakes up." he says, "Wake me up at 8:00 if she hasn't already woken up."

"Yes Boss," the AI says, and Tony gives a satisfied nod, laying down entirely with a sigh.

The day's events quickly catch up to him, and he finds himself rapidly falling asleep, trusting FRIDAY to wake him should something happen.

  
  



	2. First Day Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony and Aniyah enjoy their first day together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold/Italics = text conversation  
> Italics = Internal thoughts

Tony is woken up by FRIDAY at precisely 8:00 A.M as promised. He groans quietly but rolls out of bed, heading into the bathroom to get ready. "FRIDAY call Pepper," he calls out as he begins to dress for the day.

"Yes, Boss," FRIDAY replies and moments later, Pepper is picking up the phone. Ten minutes later, Tony hangs up with two weeks off free time on his hands.

"Just take the time to figure out how you're going to deal with this Tony. I'll do my best to keep the press under control but do be careful if you decide to go into public." Pepper says in her calm, collected way, always taking everything Tony throws at her in stride.

"Of course Pep, the only thing I really need to do is go get her some clothes. It would be better to go out because I need to get her sized. Everything else I can have delivered." Tony replies, brushing his hair into somewhat of a style and exiting the bathroom.

Tony pauses by the spare bedroom for a moment, peeking in to ensure Aniyah was still sleeping. Once that was done, he continues, only to pause again as a thought occurs to him.

"FRIDAY, I want you to order the best car seat on the market for four-year-olds. I can't take her anywhere without that if I remember the laws correctly. I want you to rush the order. Make sure it's here before we leave."

"Yes, sir," FRIDAY responds. 

Tony heads downstairs after that, going to the kitchen to see if there's anything sustainable for a four-year-old. He finds some frozen waffles in the back, a container of strawberries, and both milk and juice. Deciding that was good enough he busies himself with sticking the waffles in the toaster and cutting up the berries.

As he was doing this, his attention is drawn by the sound of padded feet on the floor. He looks up and spots brown eyes peeking at him from around the corner.

"Morning," he says, lifting the plate up slightly. "I hope you like waffles and strawberries. I also have milk or juice if you want something to drink." The words are spoken with an air of caution, Tony not overly used to children, but it seems to be good enough for Aniyah. She pads over to where Tony is standing at the counter. She clambers up onto the stool precariously, perching herself on the seat and holding out her hands for the plate.

Tony deposits the waffles and sets the plate down in front of Aniyah carefully, pulling out a fork from the drawer and grabbing a napkin. He hands both those items to her as well before leaning against the counter.

"So, milk or juice?" he asks, drawing the young girls attention to him.

"Milk, please," she says quietly, and Tony turns to grab a glass. A minute later he sets the cup down next to her plate. "Thank you," she says, picking up the glass and taking a sip. She then begins to eat her food, seeming happy with it.

Tony grabs himself a cup of coffee and tracks down one of his tablets. He begins to swipe through various emails and files, passing the time like that as Aniyah eats quietly. After he finishes with that, he switches over to some websites, starting to look through various furniture for kids.

"How do you feel about going to get some clothes?" he asks, and he watches as Aniyah takes her last bite and downs the rest of her milk.

"I like shopping," she replies, picking up the napkin to wipe her face and hands. Tony was honestly surprised by how excessively neat this kid seems to be.

"Okay, then we can go shopping this morning. You're going to need more clothing than what your Mom sent you," he replies, which only garners a nod. Tony was grateful that Aniyah doesn't seem to be an overly talkative or hyperactive kid, but this level of quietness was a bit odd to him.

"Do you need help getting dressed?" he asks as he takes the plate and places it in the sink. 

Aniyah shakes her head, watching Tony as he picks up the rest of the dishes and puts them in the sink. "Okay then, your bag is in the bedroom. Get dressed and then we can go."

Aniyah says nothing, but she doesn't move either. She only sits there in silence, staring at Tony. After a moment he turns to her.

"What?"

"Mommy doesn't let me get off stools by myself. She always says I could fall and hurt myself."

Tony blinks, a bit startled, but nevertheless circles the counter and pick the girl up, setting her on her feet.

"Thank you," she says calmly and then turns and exits the room. Tony stands there for a moment, staring after her, before shaking his head and moving to clean the dishes.

By the time he's done, Aniyah is back, fully dressed this time. Tony " nods his approval and heads out into the living room. Just as he does this, FRIDAY speaks up.

"Sir, the car seat you ordered is heading up now."

"Thank you, FRI," Tony replies, turning to the elevator just as it opens, revealing a tall, lanky looking man with a box next to him.

"Mr. Stark?" he asks nervously as Tony approaches him.

"That would be me," Tony replies, taking the clipboard when offered it and signing his name. He absentmindedly pulled out a twenty and handed it to the man, waving him to the elevator. "I appreciate you coming out so quickly. My...." Tony pauses for a split second before continuing on smoothly. "My friend left his daughter with me but forgot to leave a car seat, and I can't very well take her out without that." he laughs and waves the man back into the elevator after grabbing the box out.

"Now that we have this, we can leave," he mutters to himself before looking around the room for Aniyah. Realizing she must still be in the kitchen, he sets the box down and goes to retrieve her.

After much hassle, a lot of quiet cursing and confusing research, Tony finally manages to get the car seat into the back of one of his cars. "Now we just gotta get the kid in the damn thing," Tony mutters before turning to Aniyah.

"Alright kid, let's get in," he says, and Aniyah nods before walking up to the car and climbing in, seating herself in the car seat primly. "Okay then," Tony says before he moves forward to figure out the straps. Finally, he manages to figure them out, and he closes the car door - only after handing Aniyah the stuffed bear that she insisted on bringing. A few minutes later, they're pulling out of the parking garage. He angles the mirror so he could see Aniyah in the back and still keep an eye around him.

Aniyah busies herself with staring out the window at the passing building, happy to pass the time in silence. Her feet swing slowly through the air beneath her, the heels of her feet thumping softly against the leather seat. Tony clicks on the radio, turning to a popular music station and setting it on low.

Soon, Tony is pulling into the parking lot of one of his favorite clothing stores. It was well known for having high-quality clothing for adults but also sold things for children and teens. He turns off the car and gets out, stepping back to open up the backseat door.

Aniyah blinks up at him but says nothing as he undoes her straps and helps her hop out of the car. He clicks the button to lock the vehicle and ushers Aniyah towards the store entrance. He opens the door and motions Aniyah inside, following behind quickly. Aniyah instantly shuffles behind Tony, hiding a bit behind his leg. Tony pauses for a moment, caught off guard from the obviously trusting gesture, but brushes it off as the store owner moves forward to greet them.

"Mr.Stark!" the owner cries, reaching forward to shake Tony's hand vigorously. "It is wonderful to see you again. Back for some another suit?"

"Not this time, Jacob. I need to purchase some clothing for my daughter here." Tony replies, flashing a grin as he pulls Aniyah out from behind him, pushing her closer..

"I wasn't aware you had a daughter Mr.Stark," Jacob replies, crouching down to Aniyah's level and offering a smile.

"I recently found out. She will be staying with me for a while, and I require some more clothing for her as you can see." Tony gestures to Aniyah's outfit, which was not a good fit as well as being somewhat worn out. "Aniyah, this is Jacob. He's an old friend of mine."

Tony spoke the words in truth. He rarely included people in his small group of friends, but he has been attending this specific store since before his parent's death. Jacob -having taken over the store following the death of the previous owner- long proved himself trustworthy and a good friend to all anyone who deigned to allow him to.

Jacob smile broadened as Aniyah steps forward to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you Mr.Jacob," she whispers, smiling shyly before retreating back to the relative safety of Tony's side.

"It's nice to meet you too Aniyah," the man replies before standing and gesturing for the two of them to follow. "I have a large selection of clothes, undergarments, and night clothing that should satisfy your needs Mr.Stark," he says motioning to the back of the store. "Feel free to look around, if you need me to size her I will be happy to do so. Especially if you wish to special order anything."

Tony nods his thanks, and with a smile, Jacob heads back to the front desk. Tony then turns to look down at Aniyah who was staring at all the clothing with wide eyes. "Just look around. Tell me if you see anything you like in particular," he says, pulling out his phone to answer a few emails and text Pepper- mostly to ensure she didn't need him to come in for some reason.

Aniyah slowly began wandering around the racks, fingers brushing over the clothing here and there. Tony follows after her, glancing up every once in a while to make sure she wasn't getting too far ahead. Once he finishes with the emails and receives a reprimanding text back from Pepper -basically telling to enjoy his time off- he looks up entirely.

Aniyah is standing in the middle of the racks looking utterly lost. Tony mentally smacks himself for not realizing that a four-year-old wouldn't be overtly capable of choosing clothing on their own. With a sigh, he approaches crouching down to her level.

"Look," he says, garnering the young girl's attention. "I'm new at this whole parenting thing, and unfortunately you're the one that has to deal with those shortcomings. Now, how about we choose some clothes out and then we can go look for some pajamas. Okay?" as he says this, he stands, offering his hand out for Aniyah to take. She hesitates for a moment before smiling brightly and taking it.

"Okay," her voice is quiet, but it's a start, and thirty minutes later Tony is sitting outside a changing room waiting for Aniyah to go through the massive pile of clothes they found.

Every few minutes, Aniyah would come out and show off whatever outfit she was wearing. Between the modeling sessions, Tony busies himself by ordering some more appropriate furniture, setting it to be shipped back to the Tower.

A little over two and a half hours later, the two of them are exiting the store, Tony carrying no less than six bags filled with clothes, undergarments, nightclothes, and three sets of new shoes.

After dumping it all into the trunk, and managing to wrangle Aniyah back into the car seat, he slides into the driver's seat. Aniyah takes to humming quietly, watching out the window once more. As they are pulling out onto the road, she suddenly speaks up.

"I'm hungry."

Tony glances down to check the time - surprised to find it's already nearly noon - and then glances to look at Aniyah in the mirror. "We can go get something to eat before we stop at one more place."

"Okay," Aniyah chirps before frowning. "Where else are we going?"

"Well," Tony says, turning left, heading further into downtown. " I realized you need some toys and such to keep you entertained. I don't have anything kid-appropriate in the house. Especially considering the only 'kid' that comes in is nearly 16 years old."

Aniyah eyes light up at the mention of toys before being replaced by curiosity. "Who else comes to see you?" 

Tony wonders silently to himself where all the questions were suddenly coming from but answers anyway. "There's a boy named Peter that sometimes hangs around the Tower with me."

"Oh," she sits there quietly for a moment before opening her mouth again. "Is he a superhero too?"

Tony looks up, startled, staring back at the young girl. "What do you mean?"

"Well," she says, tilting her head to the side, "you're Iron Man, and you're always around other heroes. So I was wondering if the other boy was a hero too."

"That's not something you need to worry about. I'm Peter's mentor -that's kinda like a teacher - and he just comes around sometimes. You might get to meet him this Friday."

"Okay," Aniyah says, falling back into silence, eyes once again turning to the window. Tony simply keeps driving, maneuvering the car through the midday traffic with ease. After a moment, he glances back at Aniyah.

"Aniyah," he asks casually, raising one of his hands to pull off his shades so he can see her better. "What did you mean when you said I'm around heroes all the time." Tony was honestly curious about how much she knew about him being Iron Man and the Avengers.

"Mommy always talked about how you're Iron Man. I also saw all the videos of you with those other heroes. Like Captain America, and Hulk, and Hawkeye." she smiles brightly as she raises her eyes to meet his in the mirror. "I always thought it was so cool that my Daddy was Iron Man. No one believed me, though when I told them. They said I was a liar. Matt used to get mad when I talked about it, so Mommy told me not to say anything anymore."

"Who's Matt?" Tony asks as soon as she paused from her little ramble, and he watches curiously as her face falls instantly.

"Mommy's boyfriend," Aniyah mutters, crossing her arms tightly around her body.

"Do you not like him?"

"No," she lets out a sigh her and looks down at her lap. "He's really mean."

"Mean how?" Tony asks, a spark of concern running through him at the apparent upset in her voice.

"He always yells, and he's scary. Especially when he has Mommy's special drinks. He yells even louder then and breaks stuff. He's really mean then. Mommy's always got scared and would put me in my room."

"I see," Tony says, voice tense as he pulls into the restaurant parking lot. He parks the car and then turns to face Aniyah fully.

"Aniyah, has he ever hurt you or your Mom before? Like has he ever hit one of you?"

Aniyah keeps her eyes glued to her lap, lower lip trembling a little bit, but after a few moments, she slowly nods her head. Tony exhales slowly but plasters on a smile. "Alright, then. Well, you know he can't do anything here, right? You know why?"

"Why?" she asks, her voice tiny, and for a moment, Tony swears his heart shattered a bit. He knew subconsciously he would feel something towards her -she is his kid after all- but how quickly he is genuinely starting to care for this child was a bit startling. Tony, however, pushes aside those thoughts to analyze later and instead focuses on the subject at hand.

"Because I won't let that happen, alright? You're safe with me, I promise you that."

"Okay," Aniyah says, smiling brightly and Tony can't help but smile back, the girl seeming to have quite an effect on him.

"Let's go get lunch now," he says, reaching over the seat to undo her straps - he can't help but feel a little proud at how well he was catching on to these things- and exits the car. He opens up Aniyah's door and watches as she hops down, reaching out to steady her as she stumbles, before closing and locking the vehicle. The two of them cross the parking lot to the restaurant door.

Tony chuckles as Aniyah tries to pull open the door, struggling a bit under the weight and size of it, finally moving forward to help her. "I think that the door's a bit big for you," he says, nudging her aside, laughing again at her indignant expression.

"It was not! I'm big and strong, see?" she holds her arms up to show him her 'obvious' muscles. Tony nods his head, schooling his features into a serious look, but internally laughing at the display.

"I do see, you have quite the muscles there." his words seem to appease the child as she grins happily and -to Tony's surprise- reaches forward and grabs his hand. After a moment, Tony shifts his grasp so he could hold her hand correctly, and the two of them approach the hostess stand.

"Hello Mr.Stark." the lady standing there says, flashing a wide smile. "Is it just you and this lovely lady here," she smiles down at Aniyah as she says this "or are you waiting on someone else?"

"It's just us," Tony says crisply, and the woman nods before grabbing a menu and a coloring sheet and motioning for them to follow. She leads them to a table by the window, setting both menus down and stepping to the side.

"Your server will be right with you," she says as they sit down, turning and walking back to the front of the restaurant True to her words, a minute later, a man approaches the table, smiling broadly at the two of them.

"Hi, my name is Chris. I will be your server today. What can I get the two of you to drink?" he pulls out a pad of paper and brandishes a pen, clicking it open and turning to look at Tony.

"I will have a glass of your specialty wine, and she will have..." he pauses her looking over at Aniyah to get her input. "What do you want?"

"Umm, do you have Sprite?" she asks uncertainty, prompting the server to nod, his smile softening a bit.

"Yes we do honey, is that what you would like?"

"Yes, please," Aniyah says, a smile blossoming on her own face.

"Great," Chris jots down the two orders onto his pad. "Would you like any appetizers?"

"No, I don't think we do," Tony replies, and the other man nods and turns, walking down the aisle towards the kitchen. Tony turns to look at Aniyah, who has opened up the crayons and is happily coloring away on her page. Seeing she was content, Tony pulls out his phone and starts messing around on it, sending out a few emails, texts, and checking the news.

He is distracted by the telltale sound of a phone camera clicking away. He looks up and spots a man about two tables down from them trying -and failing- to discreetly take pictures of him and Aniyah. With a sigh, he lifted up his menu and positioned it, so it was mostly covering him and Aniyah from view.

"What do you want to eat?" he asks quietly, glancing at the man from the corner of his eyes. It seems his obvious rebuttal discouraged him from trying to get any more pictures. Aniyah -utterly oblivious to what was going on- flips over her sheet to the menu on the back.

"I want spaghetti," she says, tapping at the page with her crayon and looking up at Tony.

"Sounds good," he says, pretending to look over the menu. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees the man stand up and watches discreetly as he exits the restaurant. Once the door shut behind him, Tony put the menu down just in time for their waiter to return with their drinks

.

Once Tony places the order, he pulls out his phone again and quickly texts Pepper.

**_Keep an eye on the media, there was someone at the restaurant we're at that might have managed to get some pictures._ **

**_Alright, Tony, I thought I told you to be careful._ **

**_I know, I know. You can yell at me later._ **

**_You bet I will._ **

Tony puts down his phone and spends a few moments watching Aniyah color quietly. He can't help but notice her mannerisms seem to be that of an older child. She wasn't overly talkative, didn't ask many questions, was content to entertain herself, and overall was extremely polite and well behaved. Tony may not have a lot of experience with kids, but he knows a majority of four-year-olds are not typically this well behaved. Tony wonders if maybe it might have something to do with the apparent rocky upbringing she has had. The fact that all of her possessions weren't in the best of condition, her overly small stature, and her tentative -almost fearful- attitude towards many things only serves to solidify that suspicion.

Still, Tony doesn't say a word about any of it to Aniyah and lets her sit quietly, coloring away, while he tapped on his phone. Like he suspected, by the time their food came the first reports of the pictures the man took were starting to pop up on social media. Within the hour, Tony suspects there will be news articles all with crazy, blown out of proportion claims and theories on who Aniyah is and why she's with Tony.

He puts his phone aside, vowing to let Pepper handle the news departments and the backlash this may have, and begins to eat his food. Aniyah already has dug into her own food, though she still is eating neatly, carefully scooping each bite into her mouth.

Tony quickly finishes his food and picks up the dessert menu, flipping through the pages. "Do you want something sweet?" he asks, and he barely manages to hold back his chuckle when Aniyah's head shot up. 

"Do they have ice cream?" she asks, and for the first time, Tony sees a glimpse of the usual hyperactivity that many expect from kids. She practically bouncing in her seat with excitement.

"They do, in fact, have an ice cream sundae," he says, flagging the waiter down.

"I want two ice cream sundaes, and the bill," he says, and the waiter nods, before picking up Tony's plate and heading back to the kitchen.

"Finish your spaghetti," Tony says to Aniyah, and he snorts as she practically inhales the rest of her food in record time. She still somehow manages to stay mostly neat, only spilling one time. Tony, without really thinking about it, picks up a napkin and swipes at her mouth and shirt, cleaning up the residue. He pauses, surprised by his own actions, but plays it off by setting down the napkin and beginning to tidy the table.

A few minutes later, their sundaes arrive, and Aniyah quickly pushes her plate out of the way, eyes glued on her ice cream. Tony snorts and quietly thanks to the server, shifting his hands so said server could clear the rest of their plates.

Meanwhile, Aniyah has practically attacked her sundae with gusto, shoveling ice cream into her mouth happily, smearing chocolate on her lips. Tony chuckles. Obviously, the inherent neatness takes the backseat when it comes to dessert. He takes a few bites out of his own ice cream, taking the time to glance around the rest of the restaurant. When he looks back, he finds an empty bowl and chocolate and melted ice cream smeared four-year-old.

"Well, that was a record timing," he says, moving the bowl out of the way. "Why don't you go wash your hands and face," Tony pauses and after a moment adds onto that statement. "Do you need help?"

Aniyah pauses herself, seeming to consider it, before shaking her head. "No, I got it," she chirps, and Tony nods.

"Alright," he says, pointing at the restroom. "Straight there and back."

Aniyah nods herself, and hops out of her seat, weaving through the chairs and tables to the bathroom. Tony mentally starts ticking the minutes down, telling himself he would go check after five minutes. It turns out, he had nothing to worry about because less than four minutes later, Aniyah reappears and flounces back over to their table.

"Alright, you ready to go," Tony says, reading over the bill he was just handled. He quickly counts out enough cash and leaves a substantial tip before looking over at Aniyah. She nods, and he stands up, tucking the money into with the receipt and holding out his hand.

Aniyah takes it and starts tugging him along, heading for the door.

"Are we still going to the toy store?" she asks, looking up at Tony with tentative excitement. Tony nods and a full-blown grin crosses the child's face as she starts tugging harder on his hand. "Then let's go!"

Tony snorts but allows her to tug him out the door and to the car, shaking his head in bemusement at her sudden antics. "Alright, just slow down a bit kiddo. You look like you're about to bounce right out of your skin."

"Do not!"

"You do too, and no arguing." Tony says, cutting her off before she could start the 'do not, do too' game. "I'm your father, and I'm always right."

Aniyah simply huffs, but gives it up fairly quickly, more interested in getting to the car. Tony grins in quiet victory.

_Maybe I can handle this._

  



	3. Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aniyah meets Rhodey

By the time Tony gets back to the Tower with Aniyah, it's nearly dinner time. So, naturally, Tony was thinking about if he should try to make dinner or order in as they loaded all the bags into the elevator to take to the penthouse. However, he finds he didn't even need to worry about it.

By the time they get upstairs, they are greeted by Rhodey who's busy scooping Chinese takeout onto plates.

"Hey, Tones, I hope you don't mind. I brought dinner along," Rhodey says, looking up as Tony stumbles in with armfuls of shopping bags. "Looks like you've been busy."

"Yeah, I took her clothes and toy shopping," Tony mutters, dumping the bags on the ground "And why would I mind if you brought food? Makes it easier on me." 

"You shouldn't. Considering you don't really know how to cook anything besides toast and frozen food items."

Tony's response is cut short by a tug on his shirt. He looks down and finds Aniyah standing next to him -slightly hidden behind his leg- looking at Rhodey with a mixture of curiosity and nervousness.

"Oh," Tony says, pulling Aniyah forward a bit. "Aniyah, this is Rhodey. He's my best friend. Rhodey, this is Aniyah." he pushes the girl forward a bit, maneuvering her around the bags strewn on the floor.

"Hi, Mr.Rhodey," Aniyah mumbles, looking down at her feet. Rhodey pauses what he is doing to cross the room and crouch down in front of the girl. 

"Hello Aniyah, it's nice to meet you. You can just call me Rhodey. I hope you like Chinese food."

Aniyah nods, still a bit shy, looking up a bit to meet Rhodey's eyes.

"That's fine, I always eat Chinese at home."

Rhodey nods and stands up, holding out a hand to her. "You want to help me finish setting up while your dad takes the bags upstairs?" He fixes Tony with a look, glancing down at the bags and back up. "You can't leave those there Tones. Anyways, the furniture is already here and set up, the guys that came left only a few minutes before you got here. You need to make sure everything's okay."

Tony sighs, but relents, picking up the bags and looking down at Aniyah. "Is that okay kiddo? You'll be good with Rhodey here?" After Aniyah nods her consent, taking Rhodey's hand, Tony takes the bags and heads upstairs, kicking open the spare bedroom door. As promised, the new furniture is there.

A smaller bed now is situated against the far wall, a nightstand directly next to it. There are a few shelves for books and toys and a dresser for clothing. Besides that, the rest of the room is empty, waiting to be filled with the new toys and clothes.

Tony quickly unloads the bags and sets everything on its respective shelf or drawer. The pajamas and undergarments go in the dresser, the new clothes stacked on top to be hung later. The toys and blocks are placed on the shelf, while the new stuffed animals -along with the one Aniyah came with- are places on the bed with the new set of sheets.

By the time he's done, Aniyah is peeking through the doorway.

"Hey kiddo," Tony says upon noticing her, opening the door up fully. "I was just setting up your room for you."

Aniyah steps in, looking around at everything in awe.

"I get my own room?" she asks quietly, and Tony nods.

"Yeah, why wouldn't you kiddo? I'm not going to make you sleep on the couch or the floor." Tony replies, slightly confused by the question.

"I don't know. Dinners ready," she says, looking up at him.

For a moment, Tony considers trying to get more answers out of Aniyah but decides against it, instead nodding and leading the girl out of the room.

"Well let's not keep Rhodey waiting."


	4. Interesting Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some discoveries are made and Aniyah and Tony experience their first day apart from each other since meeting.

The next two weeks passed calmly for the new father-daughter duo. Tony would spend his time taking the occasional video call, answering emails, and working in his lab. Aniyah, for the most part, kept to her bedroom or would sit with Tony in his lab, playing with whatever toy she decided to pick up.

A week and a half after her original arrival, Tony realized just how different she was from other children. It started out simple. Aniyah was sitting in the corner of the lab, messing with a set of legos, humming quietly to herself. Tony himself was at one of the tables fiddling with his latest project, occasionally glancing up to check on the four-year-old.

It was close to lunchtime when Tony decides to take a break to make some food for the two of them. He sets down his tools and glances up at Aniyah, only to be frozen in his tracks. The young girl wasn't anywhere to be seen.

Tony's heart jumped into his throat as he stands quickly and swivels in place, scanning the immediate area for the child. "Aniyah?" he calls out, voice frantic. "FRIDAY, where did she go?" He moves forward, only to lose his balance, clutching at one of the tables to stop himself from falling. He felt lightheaded, his chest tight, heart-thumping wildly, and breathing becoming increasingly elevated.

"Miss. Aniyah seems to have wandered deeper into the lab, Sir. She isn't in any immediate danger." FRIDAY'S voice is calm, and Tony takes a deep breath, settling himself. He logically knew FRIDAY would tell him if Aniyah was doing something that would put her in danger, but at the same time, the idea of her wandering around his lab wasn't exactly calming. It is, after all, filled with many tools and half-finished projects that could injure her substantially if messed with.

"Okay," he mutters to himself, heading a bit further into the lab, keeping his eyes peeled for Aniyah as he weaves around tables and cabinets, looking in every nook and cranny. "Aniyah?" he calls again, turning around yet another corner. He could feel the anxiety starting to grip him again with each passing aisle that proved empty. He reaches the center of the lab and relaxes as he spots the young girl perching on one of the stools at a table.

"Aniyah, what are you doing kiddo? You know you're not supposed to wander around here without me," he says as he approaches the child.

Aniyah barely looks up, seemingly absorbed with whatever she found on the table. Tony reaches her side and looks down, a bit surprised to see one of the mini bots he had abandoned a while back. He had gotten distracted by the issues that arose with the Accords that he hadn't been able to really pick back up on his personal projects.

"What are you doing?" he asks again, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I'm trying to fix it," Aniyah mumbles quietly, fiddling with the wires and other parts of the bot.

"Oh, honey," Tony says, reaching around to try and take the bot from her. "You're not going to be able to fix it. I haven't even finished building it. Anyways, it’s a bit confusing for you to try to figure out yet."

However, before he can take the bot from her, there is a distinguished click, and the tiny bot starts moving around, beeping sporadically. Tony freezes in shock, watching as Aniyah sets the bot down and giggles as it scurries around the table clumsily.

"Aniyah," Tony asks, voice betraying the shock he was feeling. "How did you do that?"

"The wires weren't in the right place," Aniyah replies simply, turning to face Tony.

"How did you know that?"

"I always do stuff like that. Mommy used to let me take apart some old toys and such and use them to build things. I would always make her stuff to try and make her happy."

Tony was filled with a mixture of awe and shock. Sure, he knew logically that Aniyah would probably inherit some of his own intelligence, but the fact that it was showing up now was startling. She was so incredibly young, and for her to be able to figure out how to rewire things and fix the misplaced parts by herself was telling of just how smart she really was. Now that he thinks about it, she doesn't really act that much like a kid of her age. Her vocabulary was elevated, she was already reading and writing almost fluently, she had an understanding for so many things that other kids just couldn't grasp.

"Do you like building things?" he asks, and Aniyah nods vigorously.

"I love to" she smiles brightly.

"Okay," Tony mutters to himself before flipping out his phone. "I can look into buying you some things that you can build. It seems the legos aren't enough to keep you occupied." A quick glance to the corner Aniyah had been playing in shows that she had built several small models of various things with her legos. Not a block was unused, the boxes were empty and discarded in a little pile.

Tony shakes his head and scoops up the girls, settling her on his hip and exiting the lab. "Let's go get some food into you," he says quietly, garnering a nod and a smile from Aniyah.

The remaining week and a half passed smoothly, especially after the new building sets arrived at the Tower. Aniyah now happily worked at her own table in the lab, wasting the hours away trying to figure out each set with an intensity and determination that impressed Tony.

The morning that Tony was expected to return back to SI -mostly because Pepper had postponed an important meeting to that morning found the penthouse with one new member.

Tony had searched carefully for a proper sitter for Aniyah, knowing that if it wasn't the perfect fit, it would only end badly for all involved. Aniyah, he had quickly learned, was actually quite the finicky child. She liked a specific group of people -currently only including Tony, Rhodey, and Peter. Tony had been thrilled when Aniyah and Peter hit it off the first Friday he showed up at the Tower, but unfortunately both Rhodey and Peter weren't options for babysitters. So, Tony had resorted to the old fashion way of doing things. He actually put out an ad and interviewed each candidate himself.

Everyone had been honestly surprised by Tony's insistence on being involved with the process, he typically left these things to Pepper or a small group of people. This time, however, it was apparent he was earnest about ensuring that only the most qualified were even considered for the job.

Pepper had pointed out one day that Tony was becoming increasingly out of character- though she reassured him that it was for the better. Both Rhodey and Peter pointed out the same thing late one evening that the two of them came over for dinner. The comments prompted when Tony excused himself to help Aniyah get into a bath, some pajamas, and set her up on the couch with a movie. Both had been bemused yet impressed and happy with the change of demeanor. Tony simply brushed it off, telling himself it was normal considering the situation he had been flung into.

Still, that morning was a tense one in the Stark household. Pepper had shown up early to ensure Tony actually was getting ready and to meet the sitter for herself. Pepper had only met Aniyah one time over a video call, but it was apparent she was smitten with the girl just as much as Tony, Peter, and Rhodey were.

She walked in promptly at 8 a.m to find Tony sitting at the table eating breakfast with Aniyah. 

"Good morning Pep," Tony greets, gesturing to the table. "There some extra food if you're hungry."

"Good morning," Pepper replies, smiling brightly and seating herself at the table. "Thank you, I haven't had the chance to eat yet this morning." She grabs the extra plate and scoops some eggs onto it along with some bacon and a few pancakes. "You've really improved in your cooking," she teases Tony, pulling a grin from him.

"FRIDAY ordered some cookbooks," he admitted, "it didn't go so well the first few times." Aniyah nods profusely, causing both the adults to laugh heartily, pulling some quiet giggles from the girl as well.

"So Aniyah," Pepper says quietly, pulling the girl's attention to her. "How do you like it here at the Tower?" She takes a bite of food as she fixes the young girl with a kind look, waiting patiently for her answer.

"I am content," Aniyah finally says after a few moments of silence, pushing her fork through her eggs absentmindedly.

Pepper, for her part, manages to conceal her surprise at the elevated choice of words. She instead just smiles and nods, taking a few more bites of her food. "That's great, I'm glad."

The rest of breakfast passes relatively peacefully, the three of them finishing their food in silence. Aniyah helps Tony clear the table while Pepper checks through the schedule for the day and answers some emails. The peace is shattered by the chime of the elevator, followed quickly by footsteps and a soft voice.

"Hello?" the voice calls, and Tony quickly dries his hands and exits the kitchen. Aniyah hangs behind, peeking around the corner into the living room, oblivious to Pepper watching her from a few feet back.

Aniyah watches as Tony greets the red-haired woman standing in the middle of the living room, silently wishing she would just disappear into the floor. She flinches as a hand lands on her shoulder, spinning around quickly to look up into Pepper's face.

"You okay?" the woman asks quietly, prompting Aniyah to simply shrug and look back out at the living room.

"I don't want Daddy to leave," she mumbles, and Pepper hides the smile that threatens to bloom over her face. Tony would be thrilled to hear that particular endearment, that had yet to be spoken directly to him.

"That's understandable." Pepper replies calmly, crouching down next to her. "Your Dad doesn't want to leave you either, but he has a very important meeting he has to attend. It isn't something you would enjoy, so he found this nice lady to stay here and play with you while he's gone."

"I don't like her." the girl mumbles petulantly, and Pepper realizes that Tony wasn't kidding when he said that Aniyah had her moments of stubbornness.

"You don't even know her yet," Pepper grasps the young lady's chin gently and turns it, so they're looking at each other. "Just give it a try, okay? For your Daddy? He's already feeling so bad about leaving you here."

Aniyah just shrugs and pulls away, walking out to stand directly next to Tony. She tugs on his shirt sleeve and promptly holds her arms up when he looks down at her. Tony picks her up without a second thought, ruffling her hair as she rested her chin on his shoulder.

"And this is Aniyah. Can you say hi to Miss. Rose kiddo?" Tony shakes Aniyah's shoulder gently, prompting her to turn and look into the green gaze that's staring back at her.

"Hi Aniyah, my names Rose. I'm sure we're going to have lots of fun together." Rose smiles but refrains from touching the girl, sensing that it wouldn't be welcome from the obviously upset child. 

Tony sighs quietly as Aniyah tucks her head back into his shoulder, tightening her grip around his neck. He honestly was getting a bit worried about this sudden clinginess. It started a few days ago and has only grown stronger with each passing day. He isn't quick sure what triggered it in the first place, but he doesn't have the time to try to figure it out now. Right now, he has to get Aniyah to let go of him so he can get to his meeting and be able to come back and relax a bit before his schedule picks up later this week.

"Alright kiddo," he murmurs to the child currently attack to him like a monkey. "I have to leave now, you're going to have lots of fun with Rose here. I'll be back in time for dinner." He works on detaching Aniyah from his body as he speaks, keeping his voice calm and steady. This proves useless as Aniyah only tightens her grip even more.

"No." her voice was muffled, but the words are absolutely clear. Tony sighs, casting a desperate look at Pepper, silently pleading for her help. Pepper then crosses over, bids her own good morning to Rose, and attempts to help Tony free himself from Aniyah's grasp. "Nooo" the word is drawn out and desperate as Aniyah's arm's are successfully detached, and she is placed on the floor. Tony quickly patted her on the head and grabs his briefcase, heading for the elevator.

Aniyah chases after him, tears watering in her eyes, arms outstretched. "Don't leave me, Daddy," she cries as she does this, and for a moment, Tony pauses, looking back at her in surprise. Aniyah quickly attaches herself to his leg, wrapping her arms and legs tightly around him.

"Aniyah, please, I have to go now. You're going to have a lot of fun with Rose. You can show her the models you built, and color, and watch t.v. I promise it's going to be okay. I'm just going to be down on the lower floors, I'm not going far." Tony prys her off of his leg and gently pushes her back. Rose takes a moment to step forward and lightly take Aniyah by the arm.

"Come on, Aniyah, why don't we go look at all your toys."

Aniyah pulls at her arm, trying desperately to free herself as the tears finally spillover. "No, don't leave me here," she cries again, voice getting progressively louder, working towards a full-blown fit. Something that Tony hadn't seen before.

"I'll see you later Aniyah," is the only thing Tony manages to get out before Pepper pulls him into the elevator and the doors shut. As they descend, Tony can hear the four-year-olds heartbreaking cries slowly fading, before they disappear altogether. He leans against the door with a sigh, feeling horrible.

"It's okay, Tony, she'll calm down, and everything will be okay. I'm sure Rose can handle it, she certainly has the experience with kids Aniyah's age." Pepper's voice is reassuring, but it does little to soothe Tony's rattled nerves.

"FRIDAY?" he asks, knowing she would understand what he was asking.

"Miss. Aniyah is still quite upset, but Miss. Willows has it under control, as Miss. Potts said." the AI's response is swift and, ultimately, reassuring. Tony relaxes and pushes his worries away.

"Tell me if anything goes wrong."

"Of course, Boss."

Tony then turns to face the mirror and fix up his hair and suit, silently thanking whoever gave him the idea to put mirrors in the elevators. "Alright, Miss. Potts," he says, flashing his trademark smirk as the doors open. "Let's get this party started."

And start it they did. By the time lunch rolls around, Tony practically has the whole deal for the new partnership smoothed out. Pepper is ecstatic that things are going so well, and Tony is enjoying having his center back. The last two weeks haven't been bad, but it did prove to Tony that he's going to have to learn how to keep his work and home life separate if he is to remain sane. The Tony Aniyah knows is different from Tony Stark, multi-billionaire genius and public icon.

Tony takes the time to slip out into the hallway and into a nearby, empty meeting room. He flips out his phone and calls the penthouse phone number, praying that it wouldn't be Aniyah that picks up. He could always ask FRIDAY how things were going, but he felt better speaking to Rose in person.

"Stark household, this is Rose speaking."

"Hey Rose," Tony says, "It's Tony. I was just calling to make sure Aniyah was doing okay."

"Oh, hello Mr.Stark," Rose says brightly, and there is a moment of shuffling before she speaks again. "Aniyah is doing alright. She started on a puzzle about twenty minutes ago, I was just about to make her some lunch. Would you like to speak to her?"

Tony hesitates. He does want to talk to Aniyah, but he has a feeling that if she hears his voice right now, it might send her into another meltdown when she figures out he's not coming back at that time. "No," he finally answers, "that's alright. I don't want to upset her."

There are a few more questions passed back and forth between the two before Tony hangs up and heads back to the board room.

That evening, he comes back to find Rose sitting on the couch reading a book, by herself. It turns out Aniyah had gone up to her room sometime after lunch, claiming to be feeling ill.

"I didn't want to bother you, and your AI promised me that she would know if something was truly wrong with her, so I just let her rest in there and play with her toys." Tony accepts this explanation from the young woman, pays her, and sends her on her way.

"We'll see you tomorrow morning," he says as she steps onto the elevator. That accomplished he heads upstairs and knocks on Aniyah's door.

"Can I come in?" he asks wryly, seeing Aniyah lying on her bed, surrounded by her stuffed animals. "Or is this an exclusive party?"

Aniyah sits up sharply, a broad smile blooming on her face as she practically launches herself off her bed. Tony huffs in surprise as she collides with him, but he catches her anyways, swinging her up into his arms.

"Hi Daddy," Aniyah says quietly, voice muffled from where she buried it in his shoulder. Tony is honesty ecstatic to hear the endearment from the young girl, and he squeezes her tightly as he turns to exit the room.

"Hey sweetheart," he replies, not even bothered by the endearment as he heads for the stairs. 

"Let's get some dinner."


	5. Friday Nights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It is Friday night in the Stark household.

The rest of that week passes by the same. Tony and Aniyah would be joined by Pepper for breakfast in the morning, Rose would arrive, and Tony would depart with Pepper. Each day that passed got a little easier in terms of Tony leaving without Aniyah having a complete breakdown. There was still some clinginess and slight combativeness, but to everyone's relief, it seemed Aniyah was starting to accept this new routine.

Friday finally rolls around again, and Aniyah was practically bouncing off the walls by the time Tony got back around mid-afternoon. While this may seem odd to an outsider, Tony knew it was only due to her excitement for what Friday evenings meant.

In the Stark household, Friday evenings were the one time of the week that both Rhodey and Peter would come to spend time at the Tower -as long as Rhodey didn't have any sort of mission or important business to attend to. Aniyah -Tony came to learn- loves Friday evenings, not that he could really blame her.

Rhodey is the first one to arrive, and he is promptly greeted by Aniyah crashing into his side with the force of a small bear.

"Hi Uncle Rhodey!" the girl yells before she suddenly falls silent, face turning red in mortification.

"Well, that's a new one," Rhodey says, looking down at Aniyah in surprise. "It's alright kiddo," he adds, seeing her embarrassment. "I don't mind if you want to call me that. In fact, I'd really like it."

"Okay," Aniyah says, hugging him around the legs before spotting the bags in Rhodey's hands. "What's that?" she asks curiously, moving to her tiptoes to try and see into the bags.

"Some stuff your Dad asked me to pick up for dinner tonight. I hope you like homemade pizza." Rhodey replies, heading towards the kitchen, bags, and four-year-old in tow.

"I love pizza," Aniyah says excitedly as they enter the kitchen. Tony is standing at the counter, reading the instructions on one of the tubes of dough for the pizza crust.

"I figured you would," he says as he pops the tube and starts rolling the dough out. Rhodey sets the bags down on the counter and circles around to wash his hands. Just as he does that, the elevator dings again, and Aniyah practically squeals with excitement.

"Peter's here," she yells, running out of the kitchen, leaving two amused adults behind her. She skids across the floor, making a beeline for the teenaged boy standing in the middle of the room, sporting a backpack.

"Peter," she yells, and the boy turns and grins as he spots the child.

"Hey Aniyah," he says, catching her quickly and spinning her around in the air. "I was wondering where you were." 

"Daddy and Uncle. Rhodey are in the kitchen making dinner," Aniyah chirps, wrapping her arms tight around Peter's neck.

"That's good, why don't we go see if they need any help?" Peter replies, setting his bag on the couch and heading for the kitchen.

"Hey Pete," Tony calls from where his head is stuck into the fridge.

"Hello Peter," Rhodey adds on, looking up from the dough he was trying to mold into the correct circular shape.

"Hey," Peter replies, "do you guys need any help in here?" 

"I think we're good kiddo," Tony says as he emerges from the fridge, arms filled with several bags of cheese. "You two can go find something to do, we'll call you when the food is ready."

"Alright, I do have some homework to do, and I brought Aniyah some molding clay that the art teacher at school wanted to get rid off."

"Sounds good, you guys can do that at the table in here if you like. That makes things a bit easier so we don't have to track you two down again." Tony fixes the two of them with a look, referencing back to the time Peter and Aniyah had hidden away in an extra storage room. Aniyah had wanted to play hide and seek, and they both had ended up in there, much to Tony's panic when he hadn't been able to find them.

"Right, I'll just go grab my bag," Peter mumbles, setting Aniyah down at the table and going to retrieve his bag. He hands Aniyah the block of grey molding clay and pulls out his own homework. The two soon are occupied with their own activities.

Twenty minutes later, the pizza is in the oven, and both Rhodey and Tony are seating themselves at the table. Rhodey takes some of the clay from Aniyah, busying himself by helping her build the robot she was absorbed in. Tony, on the other hand, pulls his chair closer to Peter and looks down at his homework.

"Do you need any help?" he asks, glancing over the paper.

"Um, yeah, actually. I'm trying to figure out this one equation for this problem, but I can't quite get the right answer." Peter replies, indicating with his pencil the problem number he was having issues with.

"Well let's see what I can do," Tony says, pulling the paper closer and reading over the problem.

Time passes quickly like this, Rhodey occupying Aniyah while Tony helps Peter complete the rest of his homework. By the time that's done, the pizza is ready to pull out of the oven. Tony does so, and brings it over, sliding it carefully onto the hot plate on the table. Peter and Aniyah gather plates and utensils, while Rhodey busies himself with getting everyone drinks. 

Dinner is relatively uneventful, mostly filled with stories of what was going on for Peter at school and Aniyah's rambles on what she did with Rose this week. Peter and Aniyah volunteer to do the dishes - or rather, Peter volunteered, and Aniyah simply agreed to help because she wanted to be with Peter instead of the "boring adults."

After the kitchen is clean, the lot of them pick out a movie - not surprisingly a Disney one considering Aniyah's age - and settle down with some popcorn and candy. Aniyah falls asleep halfway through the film and Peter volunteers to take her upstairs and settle her into her bed.

Thirty minutes later, Tony goes upstairs to see what was taking Peter so long only to find him passed out next to Aniyah on her bed. Tony shakes his head and chuckles quietly, tucking the covers around the two of them and exiting the room. A quick phone call later ensures that May knows that Peter won't be home until tomorrow morning, and the rest of the evening is spent with Rhodey and Tony talking aimlessly as the hour's tick by.

Rhodey leaves somewhere after eleven p.m, and after quickly checking on Peter and Aniyah, Tony retires to his own room. He doesn't know exactly when he fell asleep, only that he is suddenly startled awake by a loud peal of thunder and a bright flash. He glances over at the clock, realizing it was close to two a.m, and then glances out the window. It was a downpour outside.

Lightning flashed across the sky, quickly followed by another loud peal of thunder. Tony faintly hears a scream, followed promptly by one, then two pairs of footsteps. Aniyah comes running into the room, sobbing frantically, Peter hot on her trail.

Tony catches up the shaking four-year-old, tucking her carefully against his side. She cries out again when the thunder sounds once more, but Tony only hushed her, rubbing his hands gently over her back. He looks up and spots Peter standing uncertainly by the door.

"Find some more comfortable clothes, kid," Tony says quietly, "and then come back here. I'd feel much better having the two of you in here with me at least until the storm passes." Peter blinks in surprise but nods, quickly locating some clothing he left behind - which consequently had been washed, folded, and put in a spare drawer in Tony's room- and disappearing into the bathroom to change.

Two minutes later he comes back out and cautiously clambers onto the bed with Tony and Aniyah.

"It's okay Aniyah," he murmurs to the sobbing girl, "it's just a storm. It'll pass soon." He lies down next to Aniyah, and rubs her back as well, keeping up the quiet reassurances. Aniyah quickly tires herself out and thankfully falls back asleep.

Tony slips from the bed and goes to the restroom. When he returns, he is greeted by the sight of Peter curled around Aniyah, fast asleep once more.

Tony smiles faintly and gets back into the bed, lying down to watch the two kids sleep. Both of them mean so much to Tony, enough that it scares him. Aniyah was his daughter, and as such, he adored her and was quickly coming to love her with everything he had. Peter, on the other hand, was suddenly claiming his own place in Tony's heart. He was the closest thing he had to a son, and he cared and even loved Peter as such. Lying next to him, he realizes, is his entire world.

These two kids meant everything to Tony, and he would be damned if he let anything happen to either of them.

  
  


  
  



	6. Life Changing Events

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tragedy strikes and decisions are made.

Just as quickly as Tony's new life came together -what with having a full-time daughter and another kid -whom he considered his son- over multiple times a week now- it all came crashing down. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but the circumstances in which it happened were.

It all started with a phone call. Now, usually, for Tony that wasn't out of the ordinary. He was an important man and as such, received a lot of phone calls. This one, however, proved to be different, and quite life-changing.

"Stark," he answers curtly, busy looking over the blueprints for his latest Iron Man suit. He glances up at the time and frowns upon seeing that it was nearly midnight. Who in their right mind called anyone at this time of night, regardless of who it was.

"Mr.Stark? This is Doctor Shang over at Northwest Medical. I have a Mr.Peter Parker here with me. I regret to have to inform you, that earlier this evening Mrs.May Parker was struck by a car while walking home. She was pronounced dead soon after arriving here at the hospital. Mr.Parker stated you as his only viable contact."

Tony freezes, dropping the tool in his hand as he stares blankly at the desk. He must be hearing things, at least that's what he rationalized. There couldn't be any way that May Parker was dead. That Peter was now an orphan.

"Mr.Stark? Mr.Stark." the voice on the line says, catching Tony's attention. Within the span of a few seconds, he comes to two realizations.

Peter was, indeed, an orphan, and he was currently alone in a hospital where any social worker could pick him up and cart him off to a foster family. Tony quickly runs for the door, haphazardly grabbing his coat and slipping on his shoes.

"I'll be there as soon as possible. I don't want any social workers talking to him until I get there," he says into the phone, and after he gets an agreement from the doctor, he hangs up and dials Rhodey's number.

As soon as the line picks up, Tony is talking.

"Rhodey, I need you to get over here to watch Aniyah. I don't have much time to explain. May was hit by a car earlier this evening and was killed. I have to get to the hospital to get Peter, but I don't want to wake Aniyah up and upset her by dragging her to a hospital at this time of night." his words are clipped, but Rhodey quickly catches on, agrees, and promises he would be there in five minutes.

True to his word, five minutes later, Rhodey is landing on the deck, the machine quickly removing his suit as he enters the building.

"Aniyah is asleep up in her room, she shouldn't wake up but if she does just get her some milk and put on a movie until I get back. She won't want to go to sleep if I'm not here. Oh, and in the back of the fridge there's a-"

"Tony, " Rhodey interrupts, holding up a hand. "I already know all this stuff. Now go get Peter."

That's all that it takes before Tony is in the elevator, pressing the button for the car garage. The elevator ride was one of the longest in Tony's life, but finally, the doors click open and Tony runs for his closest vehicle. Moments later, he is pulling out onto the road and head straight for the hospital.

It takes less than ten minutes for Tony to make it there and he quickly parks and practically sprints into the building. He had called Pepper on the way and told her to get his best lawyers to the hospital. They're already there, waiting for him by the front door, and Tony barely says a word to them except to briefly explain what was happening.

"I'm here to see a Peter Parker," Tony says to the receptionist, slightly out of breath. The nurse seems shocked to see Tony Stark there but to her credit types something into the computer and directs him to the correct floor and room without to much trouble.

He takes the stairs instead of the elevator, not really caring if the group of lawyers are following as he takes the steps two at a time up to the correct floor. He rushes down the hallway to the room and peers inside. Peter is sitting in a chair, staring at the hospital bed, which holds May Parker.

Tony opens the door, entering the room carefully, keeping his eyes planted on the slumped form of the teen. "Peter?" he says softly, cautiously approaching the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder. He jerks in surprise as Peter suddenly flips around, throws his arms around Tony, and buries his face into his shirt, but quickly recovers enough to hug him back.

"Hey buddy," he murmurs, "I'm so sorry. Everything's going to be okay." Peter shakes his head and mumbles something against Tony's shirt. "What was that?" Tony asks, gently grabbing Peter's chin and angling it so he can look at him. "What did you say?"

"How can it be okay?" the teen chokes out, eyes red, and nose runny from the excessive crying he's probably been doing. "Aunt May is gone."

"I know kiddo, I know. I'm so sorry, Pete. I'm going to take you with me back to the Tower. We can figure everything out tomorrow, but right now you need to get to a bed so you can rest. I'm sure Aniyah wouldn't mind someone to cuddle with tonight." While he's talking , Tony is gently pulling Peter up and leading him from the room, tucking him protectively underneath his arm.

They're stopped at the end of the hallway by a strict looking woman in a pressed suit. Tony assumes this must be the social worker that CPS assigned to Peter's case, he was, of course, correct.

"Mr. Stark? My name is Sarah Wittleburg, I am the social worker that has been assigned to Peter's case. If you would please step into this room over here, we can discuss Mr.Parker's options."

"There aren't any options." Tony says bluntly, "He's coming home with me. You're more than welcome to discuss thing all you like with my lawyers. As for myself, I am taking my kid home. Now." 

Without another word, he steps around the woman and continues down the hallways, ignoring the protests of "You can't do this." and "There's a process, you can't just take a child Mr. Stark."

"Watch me," he says, just as the elevator doors close.

As promised, he is walking Peter into the penthouse living room fifteen minutes later, where they are greeted by Rhodey and a pajama-clad Aniyah.

"Daddy," Aniyah asks in a tremulous voice. "What's wrong with Peter? Why were you gone?"

"There was just an accident, sweetheart. Peter's going to be staying with us for now on, alright. You don't need to worry about anything else. Would you be alright if he slept in your room with you tonight?"

Aniyah of course nods and Tony quickly bids Rhodey a goodnight before herding both his charges up the stairs. He sends Peter to the bathroom to change while he settles Aniyah into her bed. 

"Alright, now, you need to stay in your own bed tonight. Okay? Tomorrow we're going to go get some things for Peter so he can have his own room. We'll see if, Uncle. Rhodey can come over for dinner tomorrow as well Sound like a plan?" Aniyah nods happily and settles into her bed, hugging her favorite bear - a white, soft furred one named Snowflake- to her chest. Moments later, Peter stumbles back in, and Tony helps him get settled into the bed as well.

"Goodnight you two," he says, brushing a kiss on Aniyah's forehead and -after a moment of hesitation -onto Peter's as well. "sleep well."

"Love you, Daddy," Aniyah mumbles as she snuggles into Peter's side. Tony flicks out the light as he leaves.

"I love you too kiddo," Tony heads back downstairs after cracking the door, feeling far too keyed up to go to bed. "FRIDAY, tell me if one of them wakes up."

"Yes, Boss," FRIDAY replies and Tony heads down to his lab.

"Might as well get some work done since I won't be able to sleep tonight," he says to himself.


	7. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aniyah and Peter are settling in, but not without some difficulty. Meanwhile, Tony is forced to face his past once more.

The next several weeks passed by quickly, though they weren't necessarily happy.

May Parker's funeral occurred exactly a week after Tony originally received the phone call from the hospital. The service was simple, which was what Peter knew May would've have wanted, but still beautiful. Tony sat next to Peter along with Aniyah and Rhodey. Halfway through the funeral, Aniyah had climbed into Peter's lap, letting him wrap his arms around her tightly and bury his face in her hair. Tony was both proud and happy - in a bittersweet kind of way- that they were able to find solace in each other. Aniyah obviously adored Peter as much as Peter adored her.

Peter was coping quite well all things considered, but he wasn't the same carefree boy that Tony had come to know. He was still Spider-Man, though it only happened once, maybe twice a week, and the time was limited. The last thing Tony needed was for him to get himself hurt by pushing himself too far to fast. He was still attending school, though Tony had extracted a promise from him to take a break if things became too much.

As for Aniyah, the clinginess that Tony initially thought was starting to fade away, came back full force. Tony still wasn't sure what was causing it, but he did know that leaving her with Rose was now harder than ever. Aniyah became inconsolable for hours on end and would shut down completely. There were a few good days here or there, but overall things weren't working out. Tony also couldn't help but notice she seemed on edge quite a bit, almost fearful. Things came to a head when he found her having a panic attack in her bedroom late one evening. Tony himself had nearly gone into one but fortunately managed to calm down and get Aniyah to do so as well. Rhodey urged Tony to get her in to see a therapist, but Tony was hesitant. The last thing he wanted was to force her into something as serious as that.

Tony, himself, was feeling the strain of being pulled in several directions at once. It seems everyone needed a piece of his time, every single day, all day. The stress was building on him, and it made him a bit more short-tempered than usual at work. The only time he could completely relax was at home with his kids and -when he could find the time to come over- Rhodey.

Before anyone knew it summer was upon them, and it seemed a layer of the tension seemed to release. Summertime was a slow time for SI, and the debates over the Accords seemed to be coming to a close finally. A couple more weeks and everything should be ready to sign and put into action.

Tony himself had been planning a vacation for later in the summer. However, a sudden twist in events left him wondering if he should get himself, Aniyah, and Peter out of New York much sooner than expected.

It started early one morning when he was going over some emails and paperwork that Pepper had forwarded them. One of the last ones was from the head of the board that was in charge of deliberating over the Accords deals. It wasn't so much the letter that bothered Tony but rather what was being asked of him.

Tony agonized over it for hours, pacing his office endlessly. He ends up seated at his desk, looking down at his cell phone with an intensity that should cause it to burst into flames. Finally, he picks up the phone and starts flipping through his contacts, finger pausing over one in particular. Taking a deep breath, he clicks on it and brings it up to his ear.

"Hello?" Tony flinches at the voice on the other line but quickly gathers himself and replies.

"Rogers, it's Stark. I have a deal for you."


	8. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets with the rogue Avengers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Read the note at the end!  
> Italics = inner thoughts  
> -Daz :)

Two days later, Tony sends Peter and Aniyah out on a shopping trip with Rhodey and Happy. Rhodey was perfectly capable of keeping Aniyah happy and calm -much to Tony's relief- and Happy had created a special bond with the young girl as well. Peter and Happy had always gotten along, and the teen was slowly loosing up around Rhodey. So, in Tony's eyes, it was the perfect way to get Peter and Aniyah out of the Tower for the impending arrival of the rogue Avengers.

Tony locked himself inside his lab all more, working feverously on the newest upgrade for the Ironman suit. He worked without a break, knowing it would spell bad news if he got lost in his thoughts on this day of all days.

Lunchtime rolls around, and he heads upstairs to shower quickly, put on some fresh clothes, and grab something small to eat. Having Aniyah and Peter around has slowly changed Tony's habits for the better. He finds himself eating, sleeping, and just overall caring for himself more often and to a better degree.

He was just finishing up drying and putting away the dishes when FRIDAY speaks up.

"Boss, Captain Rogers and the rest of the Avengers are heading up in the elevator now." Her voice is calm, but Tony can hear the faint notes of tension underlying her voice. She isn't as humanoid as JARVIS was but with each passing day, she reminds him more and more of the former AI.

"Thank you FRI," he says, placing the last dish into the cabinet and exiting the kitchen and moves over to the bar. He starts mixing a drink for himself, knowing he was going to need the liquid confidence sooner or later, especially if this turns into another fight with Steve.

He is busying himself with this just as the elevators slide open and Steve Rogers steps off the elevator. Tony can see that Sam and Clint were the only ones behind him, though he wouldn't be surprised if Natasha was somewhere close by.

Tony barely looks up as they enter, though he is fully aware of where they are. Tony discreetly brushes over the bracelet on his wrist that will call the Ironman suit should he need it. He only looks up when Steve moves forward and speaks.

"Stark," he says, his voice cautious but still firm enough to not betray how he's truly feeling.

"Rogers," Tony replies, looking up to look him square in the eyes. "Thank you for coming," he then looks to the remaining two men still lingering by the elevator. "Barton, Wilson. Thank you, as well. Would any of you like a drink?"

All three of them, not surprisingly decline, and Tony inclines his head and steps around the counter, moving past Steve to the main seating area. He sets his drink on the coffee table and sits down on one of the chairs.

"Please," he says, gesturing to the available seats on the couch and other chairs. "Have a seat." All three of them move over and sit down, and silence reigns for a moment before Steve suddenly leans forward.

"What did you want Tony," he asks, his voice still not betraying anything. It was the same infuriating calm that it always was. Something that always made Tony nervous but at the same time, impressed, because it was so similar to his own ability to mask his emotions.

"It's not what I want," he finally says, he then picks up the folder that he had left on the coffee table earlier in the day. "This," he waves the folder a bit to emphasize his point. "Is the new and improved Sokovia Accords. I have worked extensively over the last few months negotiating this. I have also been tasked with explaining said Accords and to extend an offer in alternative to their stipulations. 

"Go on," Steve says after a moment, and Tony inclines his head.

"The government officials of the affected countries don't trust us to keep up our end of the deal and has demanded a higher level of supervision. Especially on those who -and this is their exact words- went rogue after the Accords were first proposed.

The three men all flinch a bit, but none of them make any comments on the choice of that particular word. "What do you mean supervision?" Steve finally asks, and Tony sighs.

"The head of the panel has asked me to tell you that most of us -excluding a select few who have other circumstances to consider- must move to a SHIELD regulated headquarters where Fury and the rest of the higherups can 'supervise' all they like." Steve opens his mouth to protest this, but Tony holds up a finger, silencing him, "Or, you may choose to stay here. There still will be mandatory briefings, meetings, yadda yadda, to ensure that we're all doing what we're supposed to. The only reason this alternative was accepted is that this building is more equipped to handle the lot of us and all of our," he pauses for a moment, searching for the proper words "baggage so to say."

Steve looks between Sam and Clint, a silent conversation seeming to pass between them before Clint suddenly spoke up.

"Why?" he asks, the curiosity he's feeling evident in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Tony replies quietly, turning to face Clint fully as he does so.

"Why would you offer that to any of us? After everything that happened."

Tony shrugs, "That's in the past birdbrain, my home is always open to any of you. Your rooms haven't changed at all, the only people who mess with it is the cleaning service that comes by once a month. If you want, you're welcome to stay here, or you can live at the Avengers facility just outside the city. That's where SHIELD is going to be setting up shop most likely. Well, at least whoever Fury decides to send out there."

Steve sighs quietly and looks up to feet Tony's eyes again. "I'll pass along the message to the others Tony. But I can't stay here. Not because I don't want to but because of who that would include."

"What do you mean Steve?" Tony says, voice calm and face neutral, though internally he was ready to bounce off the walls with nervous energy.

"Bucky is still with me. He was placed under my care because I seem to be one of the few that can keep him calm and under control."

Tony falters for a minute, but the only outward response he gives to that is a slow nod. "Okay," he mutters to himself, he sits quietly for a moment deliberating over what should be done next.

He logically knew that the safest place to have the Winter Soldier would be in the Tower. Tony ensured that it was installed with an extensive security system that worked directly through FRIDAY. The AI would notice anything and everything going on in the building -unless specifically programed by Tony to do otherwise- and thus would be able to see something going on before anyone else could. However, the thought of having Bucky Barnes anywhere near him -and more importantly, Peter and Aniyah- sent a cold chill down his spine. Finally, he comes to a decision, praying that he wouldn't end up regretting it later on.

"He is welcome to stay here as well if he wishes. I have a state of the art security system in place, and FRIDAY will be able to help anyone of you, even Barnes. He would be much safer here than even the Avengers facility."

  
Tony knows Steve would probably pick up on the double meaning of that last sentence. He understands Steve would realize that Tony wasn't talking about Bucky's safety specifically, but rather the safety of those who are around him. Including innocent civilians.

To his surprise, Steve doesn't bristle at the implication but instead seems surprised and a bit grateful. "I will talk to him about it." he says slowly, "I'm not sure how he will react to knowing that this is your home. He feels terrible about everything that happened last year." Tony realizes that Steve doesn't just mean the events that happened back last year, but also the ones that were revealed about Bucky -and Tony's- past.

"That's all I can ask Cap," Tony replies and Steve nods. Tony then turns to fix Sam and Clint with a questioning look. They looked at each other before looking back at Tony.

"I'll stay here," Clint says quietly, and Sam nods in agreement.

"Alright then, the only ones that have special permission are Rhodey, T'Challa and Spider-Man." Tony purposely added Peter in there as no one but Rhodey and Pepper knew his identity as Spider-Man. It turned out they each have circumstances the panel deemed important enough to grant a pass. "I'll get the word to Vision. I assume you will get the word to Wanda and that ant guy? He asks Steve, who nods his assent. It is only then that Tony turns to fix a nearby vent with a look. "You can come out now, Agent Romanov."

Tony had indeed known she was there the whole time, having received a message from FRIDAY when she managed to locate her a few minutes after Tony had started discussing things.

As expected, the vent opens, and Natasha swings out gracefully, landing on her feet and walking over to where the group is sitting.

"I'm not even going to ask how you knew I was there, and yes, before you can ask, I will stay here. The only question I have is where do Thor and Bruce fit into all of this?"

Tony leans back in his chair, taking a sip from his drink before speaking. "Considering their current locations aren't known and they weren't involved last year, it was decided to leave them out of the equation for now. I haven't heard from either of them since the last time we all were together before everything last year. I assume none of you have either."

All of them nod their agreement, and Tony continues. "As of now, if either of them does show up the only one I think they might try to fight over is Bruce. I wouldn't be surprised if they do it as a tactic to try and keep monitoring him because of Hulk. Thor, however, I doubt they'll bother, mostly because I'm pretty sure they're all terrified of him. I'll offer it to him should he show up, but as of now there was no reason to include them in the deliberations."

"Now," he pauses for a moment to take another sip of his drink. "we can go over this." he pulls the folder forward and opens it up.

Overall it takes a good two hours to discuss all the different aspects of the new Accords, what it would mean for their work as heroes, whether or not the Avengers would be reinstated. That particular tidbit had been left up to Tony and the rest of the members of the team, considering the animosity in which they separated with last year.

They're just finishing up the last of the papers when the elevator opens. Everyone in the room looks up startled as Aniyah runs into the room, smiling brightly. That smile quickly fades, however, when she sees the room full of people. Rhodey gets off the elevator along with Happy and Peter, all of them sporting bags. Happy freezes for a moment, before he gathers all the bags and disappears upstairs to deposit them presumably in Peter and Aniyah's rooms.

"Oh, I didn't think you'd all still be here," Rhodey says in surprise, setting the bags down. "We would have stayed out longer if that wasn't the case."

"No, it's fine Rhodey," Tony replies, standing up and crossing over to pick Aniyah up and pull Peter closer to his side. He turns to address the rest of his former teammates fully, noticing with some amusement that they're still quite shocked. "This is Peter," he says, indicating the teen with his free hand. "He is staying with me following the death of his Aunt."

"And the girl?" Natasha says quietly, her eyes zeroed in on Aniyah. "She looks an awful lot like you, Stark."

Tony smiles slightly at her forwardness and replies evenly. "Aniyah is my daughter. She's been staying with me while her mother is traveling for work. 

Secretly, Tony doubts that her mother is ever coming back, but he hasn't said as much to anyone beside Rhodey, and he doesn't plan on telling anyone else for a good while.

"Daughter?" Steve says in shock, even as he looks between Aniyah and Tony, obviously picking out some of the similarities despite his disbelief. Clint and Sam are just as shocked while Natasha looks a bit smug with herself and not all that surprised.

"Yes, daughter." Tony repeats, "I only found out when her mother dropped her off with me a couple of months ago. She couldn't find anyone else to watch Aniyah while she was away." He sets down Aniyah and nudges her forward a bit.

Steve is the first one to stand up and move forward, crouching down to Aniyah's level. "Hi Aniyah, I'm-"

"You're Captain America," Aniyah interrupts, and Tony can see a bit of excitement bleeding through her cautious demeanor. "And you two are Hawkeye and Falcon." she looks at Clint and Sam in turn. "And you're the Black Widow," she says, looking directly at Natasha. "I've heard lots about you."

"Your child is quite intelligent Stark, I can see it in her eyes," Natasha says quietly, and Tony shrugs his shoulders.

"She gets it from me," he says, waving his hand dismissively. To his surprise, it's Steve that laughs, standing up as he does so.

"That she does," he says amicably before stepping forward and holding out a hand to Tony.

Tony looks at him for a moment, surprised a bit by the move, but in the end, clasps Steve hand in his own, and the two of them shake them in renewed solidarity.

"Do you want to stay for dinner?" Tony asks to the room at large, picking Aniyah back up as soon as Steve lets go.

"That's alright; I have to get back and talk things out with Bucky, try to figure out what we're going to do," Steve says, and Tony looks behind him to Clint, Sam, and Natasha.

"I'll head out as well; I have somewhere I have to be," Sam says, standing up from his spot.

Natasha and Clint glance at each other, silently communicating, before Natasha speaks.

"Clint and I will stay, I have some things I needed to ask you anyways, and Clint's my ride."

Tony nods, and there is a bit of commotion as everyone bids Steve and Sam goodbye, Aniyah shyly waving at the two of them -especially Steve- before Peter and her leave to go wash up for dinner. Rhodey heads into the kitchen with Natasha and Clint, while Sam heads down to his car- quickly followed by Happy after he bids goodbye to Aniyah and Peter and denies the offer to stay for dinner.

That leaves Tony and Steve standing alone in the living room. Tony says nothing for a moment, watching as Steve turns towards the elevator as if to leave before slowly turning back.

"Tony," he says quietly, trailing off for a moment. "Tony, I know it doesn't mean much right now, but I am sorry for everything that happened. My reaction was way out of line, and you got caught up in a bad situation when Bucky got involved as well. Bucky is sorry as well, though I'm sure he'd rather tell you that himself should you decided to talk with him." Steve pauses for a moment, running his hand over his face, nervously, "What I did was wrong, horribly wrong, and I swear that I'm going to make that up to you. It's the least I can do," he stops here, waiting for a moment for Tony's response before turning back towards the elevator.

Tony waits until the doors are opening to say something.

"Cap," he calls just as Steve steps onto the elevator, causing him to turn and look at Tony questioningly. "It's good to see you wearing something besides that god awful uniform of yours."

Steve grins, shaking his head in quiet amusement, and as the doors close Tony can hear him laugh softly.

Tony finally relaxes and lets out a shaky laugh.

_I can't believe I just pulled that off._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So pretty much I had to find a way to reunite most of the Avengers members as well as a handful of other additional characters and this was my idea. Basically the panel that was supposed to oversee Avengers business decided - with the rest of the officials from various countries- that it would be best to have all the Avengers, save a few, residing at one building. This would have been the Avengers facility just outside of the city. However, Tony decides to go beyond this and offer his own home as a place to house all of the included her - including Steve, and by association, Bucky. Bucky being included in this is important, trust me. If you have anymore questions or suggestions please leave them in the


	9. Heart to Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve and Tony have a heart to heart and Steve learns the devastating power of the puppy dog eyes

A week later, Steve comes for a visit around lunchtime.

He walks in just as Tony is about to pick up the phone to order pizza for him and Aniyah. Peter was at Ned's house for the day and wouldn't be back until after dinner.

It is Aniyah that notices first, and she promptly starts shaking on Tony's shoulder. "Daddy, Captain America is back," she chirps as she hops up and walks over to Steve. She pauses a few feet away and smiles shyly up at him. "Hi," she says quietly, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

"Hello Aniyah, it's nice to see you again," Steve replies kindly, before looking up as Tony approaches. "I'm sorry to drop in on you like this; I figured this conversation would be better held in person as opposed to over the phone."

"That's alright Cap, would you like to stay for lunch? It's easy enough to order a few extra pizzas." Tony replies calmly, nudging Aniyah towards the stairs. "Go get cleaned up, sweetheart," he murmurs to her, sending her on her way.

"Actually, if it's alright, I will. This conversation might take a while."

"If I offer it, then it's obviously okay Cap," Tony snarks, a bit of his old personality shining through. Steve snorts but says nothing watching as Tony pulls out his cellphone. "Make yourself at home," he says offhandedly, gesturing towards the living room and disappearing into the kitchen. By the time he comes back, Steve is sitting -quite awkwardly- on the couch. "Alright Cap," he says, seating himself on the available space on the sofa. "spill."

"What do you mean?" Steve asks, angling his body, so he's facing Tony,

"Something is bothering you, that much is obvious, so spill it."

Steve sighs and looks down at his lap for a few moments, seeming to struggle with the words for a few minutes. "I just don't understand why you would offer to let Bucky, and I stay here." he finally says, "Of course it's obviously the safest place to have him due to the chance that the Winter Soldier could take back over. No matter how small that chance may be, it's always something I have to think about all the time. But the facility is nearly as secure and is further away from the city. I'm also surprised you even considered letting Bucky stay here let alone offer it considering everything that he's done."

"Steve," Tony says, passing his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "I'm not going to lie and tell you that I don't have my qualms about Barnes staying here, but just as he's your friend, at one time you were one of mine. You've been clear enough that you want to reconcile and put what happened behind us, and I trust you enough to keep Bucky in control if only to keep him out of trouble."

He pauses here, fixing Steve with a stern look. "However, that doesn't mean I won't be having him monitored when he's wandering the building or around anyone else. Especially my kids. I may have my doubts Steve, but I also don't want to let any of the old animosity grow once more between us. I understand Barnes wasn't himself, was a completely different person in fact, while doing the things he did as the Winter Solider, for that reason, as well as the fact that I still consider you my friend, I am willing to put those things in the past."

Throughout Tony's little speech, Steve has been staring at him with a mixture of surprise, relief, and something else Tony can't quite pin. Steve smiles slightly, rubbing the back of his head subconsciously.

"Thank Tony," he mutters just in time for Aniyah to come bouncing back down the stairs, carrying a box with her.

"Daddy, can we play a game?" she asks, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Sure honey, let's go set it up at the table, we can play while we wait for the pizza," Tony replies, standing up.

Aniyah nods before pausing and turning to Steve. "Do you wanna play with us?" she asks, showing him the box entitled 'Sorry.'

"I've never played it before," he admits, but all Aniyah does is shrug her tiny shoulders.

"I can teach you, or Daddy can. Please play with us," she says, pulling out the classic puppy dog eyes that all four-year-old's seem to have.

Steve eventually succumbs to the look and stands up; he looks up at Tony, who is standing at the door to the kitchen, watching with blatant amusement. "How do you survive that?" Steve asks and Tony shrugs and laughs.

"I don't. If Aniyah weren't the way she was, she would be the most spoiled child on the face of the planet. Fortunately, she seems to have some humility and humbleness about her."

The trio head into the kitchen to play a few rounds of Sorry, the game going much smoother after Steve caught on to the rules. The pizza came soon after their second round, and they broke for lunch.

Steve ended up staying the rest of the day before leaving just before dinner, explaining he shouldn't have left Bucky alone for so long. Aniyah waves from where she's watching her movie from the couch and then Steve is gone.

Tony walks over and sits down next to Aniyah.

"Aniyah?' he asks after a few minutes of quiet, slinging his arm around her shoulders.

"Yes, Daddy," she replies, a bit distractedly, still absorbed in her movie.

"How would you like Steve and the others to come live with us?"

That catches Aniyah's attention, and she abandons her movie to look at Tony in surprise.

"I'd like that." she finally says, a small smile crossing her features.

"Good, because they're supposed to come on Saturday."

"Okay," Aniyah says easily, looking back at the television. "I'm hungry Daddy,"

"Yeah?" Tony glances at the time seeing it was already nearly five-thirty. "It is getting close to dinner. I tell you what, run upstairs and get your shoes. We can go out for dinner tonight."

"Okay!" Aniyah chirps, bouncing off the couch and running up the stairs, nearly missing one of them in her haste.

"Be careful," Tony yells after her, shaking his head in amusement before standing up to follow her up the stairs.


	10. Acceptance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter finally accepts his place within his new family.

Saturday rolls around quickly, and it opens to Tony finding Natasha in the kitchen, sipping her coffee calmly. She is wearing a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with her hair thrown up into a messy bun.

  
"Morning Nat," Tony greets, not surprised to find her already there. "Did you get settled in alright?"

  
"Morning Tony," she replies, smiling mischievously from behind her mug "I did, thank you for asking."

  
Tony nods and moves over to the fridge, opening it and perusing the items inside, looking for something adequate to make for breakfast.

  
"Where are Peter and Aniyah?" Natasha asks from behind him, and before answering Tony grabs the milk, eggs, and a couple of other items, backing up and twisting to set them on the counter.

  
"Aniyah should be getting up soon; she's an early bird. Peter probably won't wake up for another couple hours unless I go wake him up myself."

  
Natasha nods as she pours another cup of coffee, grabbing a mug and filling it up before placing it on the counter for Tony. He thanks her as he picks up the mug, taking a gulp and sighing, practically able to feel the caffeine entering his system.

  
Natasha sits on a stool, watching him move around the kitchen -albeit still a bit awkwardly- attempting to make something semi-edible. The results aren't horrible. He manages to make some omelets and to go with it he cuts up some fruit and tosses some bread into the toaster.

  
As predicted, Aniyah stumbles in around this time, rubbing at her eyes but looking reasonably cognitive for the early hour. She walks over to the empty stool and climbs up, accepting Natasha's hand when she offers it to help her.

  
"Morning Aniyah," Tony says, sliding a plate in front of the child along with a glass of milk.

  
"Morning" Aniyah replies, picking up her fork and taking a bite out of her omelet.

  
Tony offers Natasha a plate, which she graciously accepts, and gets to work making two more plates.

  
"I might as well go wake Pete up," he says distractedly as he scoops food onto the plates. "We're going to have a busy day today." As soon as the dishes are full, he sets them down and exits the kitchen, his footsteps sounding a few moments later on the stairs. Within two minutes he's walking back into the kitchen, one tired Peter in tow.

  
"Mr.Stark," Peter starts only to cut himself off at the look Tony shoots his way. "I mean, Tony, it's like five in the morning."

  
"It's nearly 8, and you need to eat something." Tony retorts, handing Peter the plate and directing him to the table.

  
Peter does as he is bid, sitting down at the table and scooping the food into his mouth. He stares aimlessly at the wall, not really tasting his food as he shoves it into his mouth. Still, he finishes in record time and gets up to clean his dish and put it away. He then excuses himself to get dressed and promptly returns to his room. However, once he got there, instead of getting dressed, he flops back on his bed, listlessly staring at the wall.

  
He's feeling down this morning, and even though Tony made him promise to say something if he ever felt like this, it just felt like he had no motivation to do so. He lays there, staring blankly at his wall until there is a knock on his door.

  
"Come in," he calls out slowly, not bothering to move from his spot.

  
The door opens, and Peter hears a distinct sigh and footsteps crossing the carpeted floor. The bed sinks, and a hand brushes through his messy hair.

  
"Pete," Tony says quietly, "why are you laying on your bed? I thought you said you were getting dressed."

  
"Sorry," Peter mutters, keeping his face turned towards the wall, so Tony doesn't see the tears starting to well up there. He honestly doesn't know when he became so emotional, and the last thing he was is to bother Tony Stark with his problems. He's already so kind in letting him stay here.

  
"What's wrong buddy?" Tony finally says, brushing a curl away from his face and leaning forward a bit so that his face is more visible. "You can tell me you know,"

  
"I don't want to bother you with it," Peter replies "You already are doing so much for me, I don't want to be any more of a burden than I already am."

  
"Peter, you're not a burden," Tony says firmly, "you're anything but that. I want you to come to me when you have problems. It's what I'm here for kiddo. Now, tell me what's wrong so we can fix it."

  
"I'm just feeling a bit off. I miss Aunt May a lot, but I can't bring myself to really feel anything either. I'm exhausted, and sometimes I wish I would just go to sleep and never wake up."

  
Tony sighs, ruffling Peter's hair a bit as he opens his mouth to reply. However, he is interrupted by a tiny voice from the door.

  
"Daddy? What's wrong with Peter?"

  
Tony turns around and spots Aniyah standing in the doorway, worrying her lip between her teeth.

  
"He's just feeling a bit sad sweetheart; he needs a special Anya hug to make him feel better. Isn't that right Pete?"

  
Peter sits up slowly and turns to face Aniyah, holding his arms out to her. The young girl doesn't hesitate to hurry across the room and throw her arms tightly around the boy's middle. She buries her face in his chest, and Peter sighs quietly, tightening his grip on her slightly.

  
"Thanks, bird," he mumbles, and Aniyah smiles up at him toothily, patting her hand on his cheek.

  
"Don't be sad, Petey; it makes me sad when my big brother isn't happy." small hands wipe at the tears that are now steadily falling down Peter's cheeks, a small frown crossing Aniyah's face as she does this.

  
"Big brother?" Peter asks quietly, confused, and disbelieving of the words he just heard.

  
"That's what you are right?" Aniyah tilts her head, dark hair flopping messily over her face though her eyes, wide and sincere, remain visible.

  
"I..." Peter pauses, glancing over at Tony and seeing only acceptance and -if he's not mistaken- love in his eyes as he watches the two of them silently. "Yeah, I guess I am," he tucks the stray pieces of hair out of Aniyah's, tapping her on the nose gently, causing the girl to giggle softly, the joyful sound filling Peter with a flood of warmth. 

  
Tony smiles himself and suddenly pulls both of his kids into a tight hug, cupping his hand around Peter's neck. The teen freezes for a moment before relaxing and dropping his head on Tony's shoulder.

  
"You good now, kiddo?" Tony whispers, refusing to move away until Peter was ready to let go.

  
"Yeah," Peter replies, pulling back slightly and meeting Tony's eyes. "Thanks, Dad," the teen goes rigid as his brain catches up with what he just said and he curls in on himself a bit waiting for the inevitable rebuttal.

  
However, Tony ruffles Peter's hair and stands up, pulling Aniyah with him. "No problem kiddo, it's my job to make sure you and your sister are okay." He turns and heads for the door, pausing in the opening. "Go ahead and get dressed. We have quite a few people coming over today, and I'm sure you don't want any of them to see you in your pajamas."

  
Peter nods, a bit stunned, and Tony exits the room, closing the door behind him quietly. The teen sits there for several long moments, trying to process what just happened. He honestly couldn't believe that Tony just accepted that whole situation without blinking an eye. He didn't mind that Peter needed his help, was happy when Aniyah called him her brother, and then just rolled with it when Peter slipped up and called him dad.

  
Maybe, he thinks to himself; maybe he does want me here. Maybe this is something that I get to keep. A small smile dawns on Peter's face, nothing like it used to be but there nonetheless. Without another thought, he quickly gets dressed and heads downstairs, scooping up Aniyah and bringing into a tight hug when she runs up to him, arms outstretched. 


	11. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has two very important conversations.

After Natasha, Clint is the first one to arrive at the Tower, rolling in around ten am. After him comes Sam, followed by Vision, Wanda, and then Scott.

Sam, Clint, and Vision go straight to their rooms to get settled, Wanda following after Vision, barely looking at Tony at all as she passes by him, ignoring his greeting. Vision later apologizes for Wanda's dismissal, saying she still hasn't quite gotten over the events of last year.

Scott talked to Tony for a few minutes only to be promptly distracted by Aniyah -and by extension Peter. A few short words catch the man up to date on who the two were, and Tony watches with amusement as Aniyah quickly wins over Scott with her bright eyes, charming smile, and adorable personality. He soon excuses himself to unpack his things and get settled into his room.

Tony sends Aniyah and Peter out with Happy, giving Peter his card and telling him to spend a few hours distracting the hyperactive kid with food and whatever else he can find. The overall chaos of having five new people wandering around hyping her up far more than Tony was expecting.

Two hours later, he orders food for everyone, and they all convene in the main sitting room on the floor with the rest of the heroes rooms, located one level down from Tony's.

Tony sits in a chair located off to the corner of the room, eating his food calmly and typing away on his StarkPad. He is separate from the others, the lot of them seating themselves on the couches and chairs in front of the television. However, he doesn't really mind it, not entirely sure if his presence is even welcome - not that he should care considering it's his house. But still.

He is so engrossed in sorting through his emails -organizing each one into their respective files to be looked at later on that evening- that he doesn't notice Clint until he is leaning against the wall beside his chair, plate in hand. Tony jolts a bit when he sees him, but settles himself quickly, filing another couple emails before looking up at the archer.

"Barton," he says quietly, dipping his head in acknowledgment of the other's presence.

"Stark," Clint replies, looking down at the genius with a strange expression on his face. He seems to consider his next words for a few minutes before opening his mouth. "Why are you over here?" he finally asks, obviously wanting to say something more but refraining for whatever reason.

" I knew I wouldn't be much fun to talk to while working." he indicates the tablet with one hand, taking a bit of food with his other as he does so.

"Sure Stark, we both know that's utter bullshit. So tell me what the real reason is."

Clint and Tony's relationship hasn't always been the best, but throughout it, there was still a sense of respect and solidarity. Clint knowing full well Tony, shares his blunt sense of humor and thus knowing the genius is capable of handling the jokes and tricks the archer likes to pull. The two also had an unspoken agreement to get the other to vent whatever may be bothering them. So it shouldn't be shocking to Tony that the archer took it upon himself to figure out what was causing the genius to withdraw as he had.

"Clint," the use of the archers full name the archer's attention, knowing Tony only ever used it when being serious. Usually, it was either Barton or a whole slew of nicknames the engineer came up with. "it's been nearly a year since I've seen most of these people, I didn't exactly part with on any one of them on good terms. It's obvious that at least one of them isn't happy with my presence" Clint glances over at Wanda here, who was watching the pair with a look of suspicion. "I haven't ever really fit in with the team, either way, my personality typically too much to handle for an extended amount of time, so I just figured it'd be easier to separate myself. I wasn't even sure if I was welcome down here or not." Tony cuts himself off suddenly, mortified that he revealed so much but was unable to take it back now that he said it.

Clint seems to process this for a minute, leaving Tony to agonize over his mistake while he does so, before he suddenly drops down on the arm of Tony's chair, side brushing up against Tony's.

"Well, one, it's your tower. " Clint, of course, has to point this out, not that Tony really blames him. "We can't deny you access to this floor. But besides that, I wouldn't let anyone try to. You're letting us stay here despite everything that has happened, and you don't have to do that. But you are. You have proven ten times over that you are a good person, and my opinion of you has changed drastically since we first met. I realize now that you aren't the man the media tries to portray. You have only solidified that opinion when you said you have not only taken responsibility for your daughter, but also for a teenaged boy who has no blood relation to you whatsoever. Anyone who has a problem with you needs to get a reality check because you are ten times the person than a majority of people out there." the archer turns his head to meet Tony's eyes at this point, nudging the other's shoulder with his own. "You're my friend Stark, now stop moping and get your ass over here with Nat and me."

"Alright birdbrain," Tony mutters quietly, turning off his StarkPad and picking up his plate. "But you asked for it, you're never going to get rid of me now." his voice is joking as he says the words but Clint shrugs and replies, face utterly serious as he utters his next words.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
It was later in the evening when Steve and Bucky arrived. Tony had just ordered food and set it to deliver the entire order to the main floor after he received a message from Peter explaining that he, Happy, and Aniyah were going to get dinner on the way back.

Tony was spending a few minutes of alone time -having spent all afternoon talking with Natasha and Clint, with a few shared words between him an the rest of the group- when the elevator opened.

He looks up and quickly stands when he spots Steve, who had a backpack slung over his shoulder and another bag in his hand. Tony falters for a minute, however, when he spots Bucky standing just behind Steve.

The two lock eyes, leaving Steve stranded in the middle of their miniature stare down. Tony takes in the other mans demeanor, noticing Bucky doing the same thing, trying to figure out what was going on in his head.

He was holding himself stiffly, obviously tense -maybe a bit nervous- at the sight of Tony, but otherwise, the only thing Tony can see is the guilt that was hidden in his grey eyes.

"Barnes," he finally says, stepping forward "welcome. I'm glad you and Steve decided to take me up on my offer."

Bucky nods slightly, glancing over at Steve before replying. "I must thank you; I know that there must have been some misgivings in extending the invitation in the first place."

The two fall silent and Steve looks between each of them before suddenly speaking up. "Well, now that that's out of the way. How have you been doing Tony?"

Tony jolts at Steve's sudden voice but quickly covers it up and replies smoothly. "I am well, thank you. Been busy for the last few days. And yourself?"

Steve replies to the same fashion and then quickly pulls the genius into a conversation about his suit, asking a few well-placed questions. Tony is aware of what the super soldier was doing ut is nevertheless grateful for his attempts to ease the tension. He is still hyper-aware of Bucky, who has moved over to look out the window. Everything is going fine until Steve's phone suddenly rings.

The man flips it out and checks the caller id, a groan leaving as he glances over at Bucky. "I have to take this," he finally says but pauses for a moment, seeming unsure what to do.

"You can take it out to the balcony; I'm sure Barnes will be fine in here for a moment." Tony wants to take back the words as soon as he says them, not entirely comfortable with the thought of being left alone -even if it's only by glass and in complete sight of Steve- with Bucky. But he schools his expression, nodding and plastering on a smile when Steve accepts the offer with relief.

Steve steps out onto the balcony and heads to the banister, leaning against the railing comfortably. His back is turned, but Tony knows that he is still fully aware of what's going on behind him.

Tony stands there for a few moments, uncertain of what to do. If he should just let Barnes be or if he should try and engage him in some way. In the end, the second option wins out, and Tony moves a bit closer, hovering uncertainly by the couch.

"You can sit if you want, I'm not sure how long Steve's going to be." Bucky looks over at Tony when he speaks, but he doesn't do anything besides incline his head and seating himself in a chair a few feet away from the genius.

Tony sits on the couch, looking down at his hands, glancing periodically at Steve, stuck between waiting him out or just standing and going somewhere else until he's done. The choice is taken out of his hands when Barnes speaks.

"Steve told me he talked to you,"

Tony looks up, startled, but Tony's inherent curiosity gets the better of him despite his intentions to not say anything.

"Really? What did he say?"

"Nothing much, just that he spoke to you about your decision to let me stay here."

"Oh? Well, I'm sure he told you my response to his questions."

"He did, though I am still quite confused."

Tony blinks, looking up at the other man and taking in his demeanor. He was hunched over, looking down at his hands intently. If Tony was able to see his face, the genius knew that the guilt plaguing him would be clear as day.

"Why is that?" Tony finally asks after a few moments,

Bucky looks up at him incredulously. "After what I did, how could I ever expect you to extend such an offer. Letting me into your house with your children in it" Tony is surprised that Bucky seems to know at Aniyah and Peter, but doesn't comment on it. "I didn't even expect you ever to want to be near me again. I know I wouldn't."

Tony sighs.

"Look, Barnes, I'm not going to lie and say I didn't have my misgivings. I made it very clear to Steve that security was going to be tight, not just because of you but because of the number of superpowered and dangerous individuals here. I'll never be able to forget what happened and what I found out. However, I also want to make it clear that doesn't mean I won't ever forgive it." Bucky looks, shocked grey eyes meeting Tony's brown one. "As I said to Steve, I don't want any animosity between us. I am willing to let the two of you do whatever you need to let go of what happened, and I promise to try my best to move past it as well. Steve and I were good friends before everything happens, and so, I extend that to you as well if you are willing."

"Why," Bucky's voice matches the shock and disbelief that are present on his face.

"Because I know that Bucky Barnes is a different person from the Winter Soldier, and I'm not going to condemn you for things out of your control."

Tony hadn't meant to say the words, but as soon as they leave his mouth, he knows they're true. Despite the hurt and anger he had felt following the events that passed all those months ago, he knew deep down that Bucky Barnes wasn't the Winter Soldier, and as such he couldn't pin the blame on the man entirely.

Bucky opens his mouth and shuts it a few times, looking very much like a fish out of water at that moment. He finally closes it fully and regards Tony for a few moments. There is a shine of respect in the grey eyes trained on him, and Tony isn't quite sure what to do with that, but before he can say anything, Steve walks back in.

"Sorry that took so long," he says, and just like that the spell that seemed to have been cast over the room was broken, and Bucky looks away. "I guess Bucky and I should go get settled in. Thank you, Tony, for everything."

"Don't mention it," Tony says; still a bit dazed from what had just transpired, but he manages to nod and shoot one of his trademark smiles at Steve. "It's the least I can do,"

Steve nods and motions to Bucky, who stands and follows after him. The two get on the elevator and disappear, leaving Tony sitting on the couch wondering what he just got himself into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I always have loved reading about authors take on the Clint-Tony relationships dynamic. I always love it when the two have this supportive, yet teasing, dynamic. It just fits them for some reason in my eyes, and I had this inexplicable urge to write that scene. So yeah, if you don't like it in sorry. As for the conversation with Bucky, that moment is going to be one of the biggest in these early chapters. A lot of this story not only centers around Tony's growing relationship with Aniyah and Peter but also on mending that relatioinship with Steve and helping plant the roots for the one with Bucky. It's a dynamic that I feel is important to this story. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Remember; comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, and kudos are appreciated. Hearing back from you guys gives me motivation to keep writing.  
> -Daz :)


	12. Growing Relationships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony realizes that there is something strange brewing between him and the two resident supersoliders.

Thing's settle down fairly quickly, each member of the household falling into a comfortable routine.

  
Each member of the team has their own floor complete with a living room, bedroom, guest room, kitchen, and bathroom. There was also the main floor -located right underneath the penthouse- where most of the Tower's occupants spent a majority of their time.

  
Clint, Sam, and Scott spend their time playing around with the extensive collection of gaming consoles and various games. It was amusing to Tony how involved the three men could get in their gaming, frequently being privy to the unfolding of many of their competitions.

  
Natasha, Vision, and Wanda can usually be found either wandering the Tower or entertaining themselves with whatever activity catches their attention.

  
Bucky and Steve utilize the gym and pool - Steve will sometimes spend time with the rest of the team and, on occasion, Tony, while Bucky occupies himself with said facilities. He once mentioned offhand that he could sense that his presence made most of the others uneasy, and as such, he chooses to separate himself when possible.

  
Tony divides his day between working on SI stuff, completing projects in his lab, and spending time with the rest of the Tower's occupant.

  
Peter is in and out of the house most days, spending a lot of time with his friends while Aniyah .wastes her time with whoever will tolerate her.

  
Things were turning out pretty well, and Tony couldn't help but feel proud of himself. He was able to enjoy his new life to the fullest, his new family blossoming before his eyes. Peter and Aniyah are happy and well adjusted to their new lives, and everyone else is as adjusted as they can be, given the situation.

  
There was just one little problem, or at least, in Tony's eyes.

  
That specific problem came in the form of a certain someone, or rather, two someones.

  
Steven Grant Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes are going to be the death of him.

  
Not that they were aware of it.

  
Tony has been attracted to Steve since the first time he had met him. The man's personality - not to mention undeniable good looks - got to Tony somehow.

  
The genius, of course, ignored the feelings, having been in the middle of a relationship with Pepper. He never told the woman about his secret longing, even after they officially broke up after being on and off for the longest time. Then, everything with the Accords and his fall out with Steve occurred, and Tony believed that any remaining emotions had been squashed. How wrong he was.

  
The genius quickly realizes that his attraction towards the solider hasn't faded at all. In fact, it seems to be stronger than ever. Despite everything that had happened between the two of them, Tony couldn't deny the lingering feelings.

  
Then there's Bucky.

  
His relationship with the supersoldier was practically non-existent just a few months ago, and yet here he is.

  
It started without Tony even noticing it, stemming from that moment in his living room the night that Steve and Bucky first moved in. Tony couldn't get the way that the soldier had looked at him at that moment. All he knew was something sparked between them at that moment, and it has only grown from there.

  
Tony thought that was the end of it, that he wouldn't be tortured any more than he already was. But, once again, it was like fate decided to spit in his face.  


He didn't notice at first, being far to busy with an emergency that popped up with SI and making sure everyone was settling in. However, once he did notice it, it was impossible to ignore.

  
It started with Tony noticing that either Steve or Bucky's gaze was lingering on him for a bit longer than strictly necessary. Usually, they would look away when Tony noticed it, but one day Tony looked over, and Bucky met his eyes full on. They stared at each other for several long moments, Tony feeling trapped under the intense, steely grey gaze, before the genius finally broke eye contact.

  
A couple days later, Tony looks up and notices both Steve and Bucky staring intently at him from across the room. However, instead of looking away when Tony looks up at them, the pair flash a twin pair of smirks, and Bucky winks at Tony. They look positively devilish, intense gazes pinned on Tony as they lean against the wall together. They are the picture of ease and total control - Tony couldn't help but notice Bucky seems to have gained back some of his old personality that Steve always talked about. It is evident that the man currently staring Tony down has managed to transform into the one that Steve once described in one of his late-night talks with Tony. The one that exuded dominance and was capable of bending nearly anyone to his will. The only one that was ever able to -and still is to this day- the single on that can keep Steve in line when he is being irrational.

  
Bucky suddenly leans over to mutter something in Steve's ear, who nods and with a final look flung at Tony, the two exit the room. Tony is left feeling confused and a bit angry, wishing that the two would just spit out whatever was bothering them so Tony could get over his little infatuation and move on with his life.

  
.....................................................................................................................

  
As the weeks wear on, Tony becomes increasingly more and more agitated with the pair of soldiers strange behaviors. He doesn't know if this is their weird way of trying to make amends with him, but he does know he is getting close to losing his mind.

  
On this particular, Steve approaches Tony from behind -the man was sitting at the table tapping away on a StarkPad- and promptly leans over him. Tony goes from being utterly alone, absorbed in his work to having a large body right above him, practically caging him in. Steve's hot breath washes over the back of his neck as the soldier speaks quietly.

  
"Hey Tony, whatcha doing over here?" his voice is a low drawl that Tony has never heard before, and he has to fight to suppress the shiver that wants to rack his body.

  
"Working," he says, quite proud that he manages to keep his voice steady despite his nerves.

  
Steve nods slowly, leaning a bit closer, and Tony can feel the slightest bit of his weight on his back. Tony glances around the room, wondering why no one is saying anything but finds everyone absorbed in the movie that was playing. Everyone except one person.

  
Bucky.

  
The man was seated in a chair, and Tony could distinctly see him peering over at Steve and him instead of looking at the movie. Tony's face suddenly feels abnormally hot, and he hunches over a bit to get some space between him and Steve.

  
"Have you had something to eat yet?" the quiet words startle Tony out of his stupor and after a second of processing, he shakes his head.

  
"Haven't had the time," he mutters, before suddenly rising, dislodging Steve from his place. "In fact, I have to do some things in the lab before I can do anything else." he nods at Steve, pretending to not notice the disproving look and heads for the elevator.

  
As the door shuts, he can see Steve seating himself on the arm of Bucky's chair, both of them staring after him with the same look of disproval and -if Tony didn't know better- what could be assumed as worry.

  
...................................................................................................................

  
It was late July - a few mere weeks before school started up again- when Tony took Peter and Aniyah on their first family vacation. Tony even managed to convince Rhodey to tag along. The man desperately needed a break, probably more than even Tony did.

  
The day before he left he informed everyone else that he would be gone for a week or two, issuing a list of rules and extracting a promise from each of them that he wouldn't return and find the Tower destroyed.

  
Steve dragged him into a quick conversation -which Tony bore through with as much grace as he could muster- asking a few questions about the trip. Tony was momentarily distracted by Bucky's appearance behind Steve, but he quickly looked away, focusing back on the other soldier. Tony then was startled when Steve drew him into a hug, wishing him a quick goodbye and stepping to the side.

  
Bucky seems frozen where he is, an uncertain look gracing his features. Tony doesn't move from his spot, waiting to see what the other man would do. He again was surprised when Bucky drew him into a quick one-armed hug as well, a quiet goodbye passing his lips as he moved away.

  
The two moved away, both seeming unfazed by what had just transpired, leaving Tony wide-eyed, and struggling to hide the blush that spread across

  
Tony escaped to his own floor soon after that and declined the invitation to attend the group dinner that the lot of them planned for that night. He instead had a quiet dinner with Aniyah and Peter, before shooing them off to bed and heading to his own room.

  
He wakes up early the next morning, feeling as if he never went to sleep at all. Still, he drags himself out of bed and heads downstairs to try and wrangle up some breakfast for himself and the kids.

  
He is distracted by the bag sitting innocently on the counter, a drink holder filled with three separate cups resting next to it. He moves over and picks up the note that was taped to the outside of the bag.

  
Tony,

I ended up getting up earlier than usual for my run this morning and had enough time to stop by that café that you recommended down the road. I got hot chocolate for Peter and Aniyah and some coffee for you. There are pastries in the bag. Thought it would make it easier on you trying to get everyone out the door.  
Enjoy,   
Steve

  
Tony blinks and opens up the bag, spotting an assortment of breakfast pastries, and a quick glance at the cups prove the note to be true. Tony was stuck between being flattered, not to mention grateful, and mortified.

  
The things that Steve and Bucky have been doing over the last few weeks aren't things you would expect friends to do. Even if they're trying to mend -or build in Bucky's case- a relationship.

  
Following the incident a few weeks ago involving Tony's inability to properly feed himself, Steve took it upon himself to ensure Tony was getting the proper amount of nutrients. He would make meals and bring them down to Tony, staying and talking to him to make sure he ate enough.

  
Bucky seemed to always be finding a reason to come down into Tony's lab; usually claiming something was wrong with his arm, or with a question about something. At first, Tony seriously though that Bucky was serious about the visits being purely to get help, but soon Tony figured out the real intention behind them. Every time Bucky came down there, it always ended with Tony passed out on the couch. Sometimes Bucky was discreet about what he was doing, other times he walked down and flat out demanded Tony take a break. Tony, to his own surprise, never argued for long. Eventually letting himself be dragged to the couch -or on a few occasions his actual room- and laying down for a bit to get some well-needed sleep.

  
Then there were the little trinkets, late-night conversations, offers to spend time together, and more. With each passing day, Tony got more and more convinced that something else was going on between the two supersoldiers and himself, but he never confronted it. Partly because he didn't want to cause any conflict, and partly because he didn't want it to stop.

  
If Tony didn't know better -and he wasn't living in the middle of the 21st century- he would say it was almost like they were courting him.

  
It wasn't the whole courting thing that he disbelieved -that was totally believable, considering that they were alive during a time that it was normal - but instead that it was _him_. They were doing these things for _Tony_ , caring for _Tony_ , treating _Tony_ like you would treat a potential lover. It was absolutely mind-boggling to the engineer that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes were doing these things.

  
_There must be some other reason,_ he thought firmly to himself, _maybe it was normal for friends to do these sorts of things when they initially were alive._

  
Though deep down Tony knew he was making excuses.

  
Something was brewing between him and the two supersoldiers, and he didn't know what that meant for him.


	13. Vacation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes on vacation with his family, and a surprising request awaits him when he returns.

  
Tony has to admit that this trip has been one of his better ideas. It honestly felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders the moment that the plane was in the air. He never realized how much pressure he was under until he managed to catch a break from it all.

  
Being Tony Stark and having more money than he knew what to do with left Tony with the ability to have quite a few things. So it was not surprising to Rhodey and Peter -Aniyah honestly didn't care- that the man owned a small island somewhere in the middle of the Pacific ocean.

  
The house was simple but well-appointed, having two guest bedrooms, a master bedroom, two bathrooms, a kitchen, living room, and patio. Tony -like with all his other properties- pre-wired the house, so it was compatible with the system that FRIDAY works one. The rest of the house was tastefully furnished to Tony's specific tastes -though he had made sure to change up the room that Aniyah and Peter were sleeping in.

  
This room included a bunk-bed, toy chest, desk, television, and art center. The art-center was specially made for Aniyah, the young girl having expressed an interest in quite a few things over the last few months.

  
Tony figured out these passions purely by accident, and it started with a grand piano that was located in an extra bedroom that was used for storage. Tony had put it there after he moved all his things from his old home following the deaths of his parents. His mother had played a little bit, and Tony himself had received lessons as a child. That, of course, was before Howard decided that his son wouldn't play the piano, dance, cook, or do any of the other things Maria had tried to teach Tony.

  
He had just gotten done with work for the day and was heading upstairs to check on Peter and Aniyah. The teen was in his bedroom diligently finishing up his summer project, but Aniyah wasn't anywhere to be found. A quick word to FRIDAY had Tony walking down the hallways to the storage room, quietly opening the door and peering inside.

  
There were open boxes scattered off the floor, a trail of papers leading the way to the piano sitting innocently in the middle of the room. Aniyah had been kneeling delicately on the bench, head bowed, with her fingers trailing over the black and white keys.

  
Tony watched in awe as tiny hands began to move, clumsily playing the distorted, but mostly recognizable, notes of Fur Elise. The technique was flawed, but the possibility for talent was there.

  
Two days later, the engineer found the girl sitting at the dining room table, focusing intently on a piece of paper, her pencil clenched in her hand. A quick glance down showed a reasonably well done drawing of Tony, Peter, and Aniyah.

  
That weekend found Aniyah twirling and swaying over the floors, feet moving awkwardly over the floor.

  
Tony encouraged these interests, knowing from experience that not allowing creativity to grow would only hurt her in the long run. So, Tony signed her up for weekend classes at a dance studio starting in the fall, art supplies were ordered, and the piano was brought out into the living room.

  
This led Tony to ensure that a smaller piano and plenty of art supplies were stocked in the beach house.

  
As for Peter, the young boy was thrilled at all the physical activities he could do on the island. This included morning hikes, swimming, running, and more. Most of these things, he dragged Aniyah, and at least one of the adults along with him.

  
Tony and Rhodey both enjoyed the relaxation and quiet that the vacation provided, taking the time to catch up with one another and to spend as much time with the kids. Aniyah adored her "Uncle Rhodey," as much as she loved Tony and Peter, and delighted in his attention when she got it. Peter enjoyed asking the man questions and just quietly sitting in the living room doing their activities.

  
There was a lot of swimming, outdoor dinners, s' mores, movie nights, and quiet evenings indoors. Tony was more relaxed than he had been in a while, finally away from the stressors of SI and life at the Tower.

  
Peter still woke up from nightmares sometimes, Aniyah is as clingy as ever, and Rhodey was always a workaholic, but they were happy. Tony's family was happy, and so he was happy. 

  
................................................................................................................

  
Before any of them knew it the two weeks had passed, and it was time for the small family to head back to the reality of their everyday lives. Aniyah fell asleep on the plane ride back, pressed against Rhodey's side, while the man worked on a logic puzzle of some kind.

  
Tony got involved in catching up with his email -both personal and work- which had blown up during his two-week reprieve. He is distracted by a warm presence plopping itself in the seat next to him. Tony looks up and finds Peter sitting there, looking at him a bit uncertainly.

  
"Hey kiddo," he says, glancing back down at his StarkPad, "what's up?"

  
"Just thought you'd like some company, I can go back over to Aniyah and Rhodey if you want," Peter shifts in his seat, nervously awaiting Tony's reply."

  
"That's alright kiddo," the man replies, wrapping an arm around the teens' shoulder. "I don't mind if you want to sit over here with me. I enjoy the company."

  
Peter nods, and after a few moments, he relaxes and rests his head on Tony's shoulder, distractedly watching the movie that's playing on the television up on the ceiling.

  
"What're you working on?" he asks quietly, peering up at Tony, though it's obvious he wants to glance down at the StarkPad.

  
"Some work stuff, it's boring, trust me," Peter chuckles, leaning his weight fully against the older man,

  
"Nothing about you is boring; you're the coolest Dad ever."

  
Both of them freeze as the endearment slips past the teen's lips, though for entirely different reasons.

  
Tony was shocked, but that feeling was quickly washed away by pure, unadulterated, joy. It was the first time he had heard Peter call him that and it invoked the same reaction that it did when he heard Aniyah call him "Daddy" for the first time.

  
Peter, however, was mortified. He truly hadn't meant to say that, but it slipped out before he could stop it. His thoughts were going a million miles a minute, but they all centered around his fear of rejection and being left alone. That Tony would decide he wasn't worth the effort and just leave him by himself. Except this time, Peter truly didn't have anyone else.

  
"Hey, hey Petey," Tony says, seeing the anxiety attack coming before it could fully hit. "It's okay kiddo; it's okay. I don't mind, really."

  
Peter had been experiencing anxiety attacks for a couple of weeks now, so Tony knew what to prevent it from getting too far out of control. He sets aside his StarkPad, and pulls Peter closer, pressing him firmly against his chest. He quickly pulls down the window shade and waves down the cabin attendant.

  
A few moments later, the lights were dimming, and Peter's shaking lessened a bit. Tony had quickly figured out that the teen's heightened senses sometimes got the better of him -the increased stimuli able to become painful very fast- and it only got worse during an anxiety attack.

  
Between the dimmed lights, Tony's litany of soothing whispers, and the repetitive, firm, movements of the geniuses hand on Peter's back, the teen was able to calm down.

  
"Now," Tony mutters, nudging Peter's chin, so he looked up, "we need to talk about what just happened." The teen looks down and opens his mouth, but Tony cuts him off before he can speak. "Pete, you can call me whatever you want. As long as it's not Mr.Stark or some stupid nickname that Rhodey or one of the others come up with. If you want to call me Tony, that's fine. If you want to call me Dad," Tony pauses here, ruffling the teen's curly hair gently, "you can. You're my kid Pete. Just like Aniyah is. I want you to be comfortable and feel like your home is here with me, Aniyah, and the others."

  
Peter looks up with damp, brown eyes, and Tony swears to himself that these kids were going to be the death of him. They were far too adorable for their own good, not to mention the fact that Peter is nearly sixteen. It should be illegal, in Tony's modest opinion, for anyone to be this adorable.

  
"Really? You're not going to kick me out or anything? You really want me with you and Aniyah?" Tony feels his heartbreak a bit as the words are spoken. No kid should ever feel like they aren't wanted or welcome in their own home.

  
"Of course Pete," he says quietly, hugging the teen to him, " you're just as much my kid as Aniyah is. I love you."

  
"I love you too, Dad," Peter mutters, and they spend the rest of the flight like that, the StarkPad discarded and forgotten. 

  
................................................................................................................

  
By the time they touch down in New York, it's close to lunchtime, and of course, Aniyah immediately began to exclaim her hunger loudly. This continues throughout the entire car ride back to the Tower, Tony torn between amusement and mild annoyance. This feeling only increases as Peter joins in, much to the entertainment of both Rhodey and Happy.

  
"It's like you didn't feed those kids," Happy says, from the front seat, meeting Tony's eyes in the rearview mirror for a second.

  
"Just focus on driving, Happy. I have it under control." Tony mutters, looking out the window to hide the smile on his face.

  
"Daddy I'm-" Aniyah starts, but Tony quickly cuts her off.

  
"You're hungry. I know darling you've told Daddy about a hundred times since we've left the airport. Now please be patient until we can get back home." Tony's voice is calm as he turns to fix Aniyah with a half-stern look, endeared by the child despite her antics.

  
Aniyah sighs quietly but mercifully fell silent, occupying herself by watching the buildings pass by as they continue through the streets. Tony sighs in relief, and they spend the rest of the car ride in silence.

They're stumbling back into the penthouse around twenty minutes later, bags in tow, and Aniyah instantly drops her things and heads for the kitchen.

  
"Oh! Hi Steve!" she says, and Tony looks up sharply and crosses the floor into the kitchen. Just as Aniyah's words conveyed, Steve was in the kitchen sitting at a barstool, sketchbook in hand.

  
"Hello Aniyah," Steve replies warmly, setting his sketchbook aside and lifting the child when she moved closer, arms outstretched. He laughs as Aniyah gives him a tight hug and squirms until the super-soldier places her back on the floor carefully. "Tony," he greets the startled engineer, currently standing frozen in the doorway, "I apologize for the surprise; I had something to ask you."

  
"Oh, um, yeah, that's fine," Tony says somewhat hesitantly, he looks at Aniyah after this, catching her attention with a small wave of his hand. "Aniyah, why don't you go ask Uncle Rhodey if he'll order pizza while I talk to Steve."

  
"Okay Daddy," the girl chirps before -after giving a final wave at Steve,- bouncing out of the kitchen. "Uncle Rhodey! Daddy says we can get pizza!" her voice trails back into the room loudly, while Rhodey's voice is somewhat fainter and harder to hear.

  
"So, what did you need to ask me?" Tony asks, turning to face Steve fully.

  
"Well, Tony, I was wondering if you wanted to join Bucky and me for dinner tonight, we have a few things we've meant to talk to you about." Steve's body language and expression are neutral, giving away none of his real emotions, nor his intentions.

  
Tony stands there for a moment, stuck between shock and curiosity, as he processes the offer. He flounders for a few moments longer before managing to pull himself together. He clears his throat and forces on an air of nonchalance.

  
"Of course, Cap, I'd be happy too. I can send the kids down to eat food with the others. Aniyah's been going on and on about seeing Clint and Nat anyways." Tony plasters on a smile, expertly hiding the emotions swirling through him at the moment.

  
"Great, dinner should be made around sixish, but you're, of course, free to come down whenever you like," Steve flashes his own smile and stands up, straightening to his full height. Tony resists the urge to step back, trying to appear unbothered by the noticeable height difference between them.

  
"Sounds great," Tony replies, shifting to the side as Steve moves to step around him, with a final wave, the super-soldier steps out of the room. Tony stands there for several long minutes trying to process what happened, only to be interrupted by Peter's voice at the door.

  
"Dad, the pizza will be here in about fifteen minutes. Uncle Rhodey says you need to go get washed up."

  
"Oh, right, of course, thank you, Pete," Tony replies distractedly, passing by the befuddled teen and heading for the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Tony has dinner with our favorite duo! ;
> 
> I hope you guy's enjoyed this chapter, I am looking forward to posting the next one for you. It should be up soon enough, but until then, just keep on keeping on!   
> -Daz :)


	14. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has dinner with the two resident supersoldiers, and some shocking discoveries are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long phrases in italics indicate internal thoughts. Singular or a few consecutive words in italics indicates emphasis. Enjoy this chapter!  
> \- Daz ;)

Tony finds himself riding the elevator down to Steve and Bucky's floor at precisely 5:30. He had spent what felt like literal hours going through his close feeling ridiculously like a teenaged girl going on her first date.

Rhodey came in after Tony manages to throw half his closet out onto the floor behind him. The scene that his best friend made was nearly comical, and Rhodey had to stop himself from laughing.

"So a little birdy told me that Rogers asked you to have dinner with him and Barnes," he says, catching the attention of Tony in the process.

"Who told you that," Tony replies, somewhat defensively, confused on how anyone found out.

"You really should remember that there is a super-sensed spider mutant living in this tower Tones, he hears quite a bit." Tony curses as he realizes the implications of the other man's words.

"Okay, so it's true. So what?" Rhodey sighs and shakes his head at the engineer's words before stepping over the discarded clothes and moving to stand next to Tony.

"Because you have been in here for the last forty-five minutes obsessing over your outfit, Tony, I haven't seen you do that since your first date with Pepper." Rhodey pauses, studying the other man's face, and Tony watches as realization spreads over his features.

"Before you start freaking out like the mother hen you are, let me explain," Tony says, holding his hands up in a placating gesture as Rhodey fixes him with a stern look.

"Tony-"

"I promise I'm not going to do anything I will regret," Rhodey sighs quietly but allows the other man to continue without interruption. "I'm just going to go down there, let them say what they want, and come back up. Whatever I'm feeling towards them isn't something I'm going to act on. I promise,"

"Tony, that's what you say every time, and the same thing always happens. You let your emotions take over your brain, and I'm the one that has to fix you when things fall apart. I worry about you Tones," Rhodey runs his hand over his face before sighing again. He seems to be doing a lot of that lately now that Tony thinks about it.

"Fine," he says suddenly, "I'm going to trust you on this, but trust me when I say, if you get yourself in trouble I'm not rescuing your dumb ass."

"Thanks, Honey Bear," Tony says, flashing his patented Tony Stark grin, pulling a smile from the other man.

Which leads him to now.

Standing in the elevator, dressed up in a nice pair of jeans and a white button-up shirt. It's not as nice as some of his suits, but it's not his casual wear either.

Taking a deep breath, he steps off the elevator, wincing as it chimes loudly, and looks around.

He is distracted from his self-assigned task by the sudden appearance of Bucky." He pauses at the sight of Tony but -to the engineer's utter surprise- a welcoming smile, albeit a bit small, spreads across his face.

"Tony," he says, voice gruff as he approaches the other man. "It's good to see you,"

Tony nods and accepts the proffered hand, shaking it firmly in his own.

"Barnes," Tony replies in greeting, and he is admittedly dazzled by the laugh that bubbles out of the man.

"It's Bucky; I'll never understand you and your family's need for formality. It seems the only one willing to call me by my name is Aniyah,"

"Oh, uh, right. Bucky. I wasn't positive if you would be okay with... you know what, never mind. I brought this along with me," he offers the bottle of wine he was holding in his hands, and Bucky takes it.

"Thank you; I'm sure I'll appreciate more than Steve will. Between you and me he's always been the hard drinker between the two of us." the man grins, and Tony barely manages to conjure one up as well, taken off guard by how different Bucky was acting. It was as if a switch had been flipped in the last few weeks.

"Or maybe," he thinks to himself, "this is how he acts when he's in the privacy of his own floor. Away from the rest of the team. But why is he continuing to be so open around me?"

"Follow me," Buck says, motioning with his hand as he turns, "Steve is in the kitchen cooking." Tony nods and follows the man; the metal arm catching his eye as it swings naturally by the ex-assassins side. Tony always had a sort of fascination with metal appendage but never has managed to get Bucky to let him look at it. It always seems to man prefers to let himself experience a bit of discomfort than ask anything more of Tony.

Steve looks up as the pair of them enter the kitchen, grinning broadly as he spots Tony. "Oh good, you're here," he exclaims, wiping his hands carefully and moving over to Tony. "Do you want anything to drink?" he asks, and Tony has to force himself not to move back as the super solider gets closer than what was expected. Not that Tony's complaining all that much.

"Tony brought some wine along Stevie," Bucky places the wine bottle on the counter and suppresses a laugh as Steve groans dramatically.

"Really, Tony," the blonde grumbles, though his voice retains that teasing lilt which was quickly becoming familiar to Tony. "Moscato?"

Tony shrugs, a small grin tugging at his lips.

"I figured sweet would be the better route since I don't exactly know either of your preferences." Tony leans back in his chair, feigning nonchalance as he watches Steve turn back to the stove. If he weren't aware of Bucky watching him from feet away, Tony's eyes would have been glued to the way the blonde's muscles moved hypnotically under his skin-tight clothes.

In fact, both Steve and Bucky are dressed impeccably well, though neither of them appears overly formal. Similar to Tony, both were wearing jeans though Bucky's were darker -almost black- while Steve's was in the mid-blue range. Steve was wearing a white button-up shirt, though Tony swears it appears at least two sizes too small. Meanwhile, Bucky is wearing a formal black shirt, just as tight as Steve's if not more.

Tony finds himself actively having to avoid looking directly at either of them, less his attraction is noticed. There's not much you can hide from the pair, especially Bucky who was better at reading people than anyone Tony has ever met.

Instead, he distracts himself by taking in the kitchen around him, and what little he could see of the living room beyond. It's set up identically to the rest of the floors, all of them based off the penthouse floorplan, though it is obvious Steve and Bucky has made it there own.

Tony takes his time examining the few pictures that are in the kitchen, the rest being in the hallways and the living room, as Steve bustles around the room. Bucky lingers a few feet from him, offering his help where he can.

Tony immediately noticed the picture sitting on the counter, carefully framed. It depicted the entire team before Thor and Bruce disappeared, and the rest of them fell apart. Tony smiles as he examined the picture from his seat, memories from before Siberia flickering through his consciousness.

He startles as a presence suddenly make itself known beside him, and Tony jerks his head up to meet Bucky's grey eyes head-on. The pair sit frozen for a moment before Bucky shakes himself from his daze and looks over at the picture.

Before he could say anything, however, Steve suddenly shoos the two of them from the kitchen, claiming it was distracting to have them there. So they head into the living room together, Tony taking a seat on the couch as Bucky wanders over to the mantle of the fireplace. A few moments later, he returns with a picture frame in his hand.

Tony stares at it, momentarily uncertain when the super solider holds it out to him, but slowly takes it. He looks down at the picture, and his breath catches in his throat.

In it, is Tony and Steve

It couldn't have been more than a week or two before his vacation with Rhodey and the kids, but Tony truly has no memory of when this picture was taken.

The image depicts Steve sitting, complete at ease, in a chair while Tony himself is hunched over the lab table, a look of utter concentration on his face.

"When....?" he trails off, fixing Bucky with a questioning look.

"It was about a week and a half before you left, Steve went down there so you could run some tests and either Nat or Clint took the picture, I'm not sure who. Steve begged the pair of them for the photo; he's been on this picture-taking binge, trying to document our lives I guess." Bucky shrugs, chuckling to himself.

Tony can't but laugh a bit himself, Bucky's laughter is surprisingly contagious. It was a quiet, warm sound that Tony couldn't help but love, silently longing to coax more of it out of the usually stoic man. Honestly, he just wants to get to know him, both him and Steve if he's honest, on a deeper level than just teammates. He wants to know everything he can about the pair, and it scares him.

Tony Stark, according to the media, was destined to be alone forever. He has a trail of failed relationships, one-night stands, and summer flings that dates back before MIT. Tony managed to fool himself into thinking that his relationship with Pepper would work out, that maybe that was his chance at the whole family thing.

But, turns out he can make his own family. Rhodey has always been there for him while Aniyah and Peter complete him in a way he never thought possible. Not to mention that his bond with the present Avengers -save Wanda, who remains distant and cold- is slowly starting to grow again. Morph into something similar to what it used to be. He's happy with the familial like bond that is developing between him and the rest of the team, but he still knows something is missing.

In his weeks away from New York, Tony came to realize that he wasn't ever going to rid himself of his feelings for Steve and Bucky, though he still subconsciously denies that fact.

Steve really didn't come as any surprise to him. It was always _Steve_. The man wasted no time settling himself smack dab into the middle of Tony's life, enthralling him while also irritating the hell out of him each and every day.

Some might say he was obsessed, though Rhodey -and anyone else that actually knew Tony- would say that it was just the way he loved. Completely and unabashedly. It's the reason why he's had his heart broken so many times, why he's so easy to manipulate and hurt. Because he can't help but care about those around him, not to mention the unhealthy urge to fix everyone else's problems.

Then Bucky waltzed into the picture, and Tony quickly came to realize that Steve and Bucky were a package deal. The two were inseparable, and it's apparent that they shared a more intimate bond than what many would like to believe. Tony tried to convince himself to let it go, to let Steve go, but then, of course, he did the exact opposite.

It seems like Fate was always trying to sucker punch him, trying to tear apart what little stability he has by throwing his entire life upside down again because there is no denying it anymore.

He is in love with Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes, and there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it.

It is evident to him that the pair are only showing such an interest in him because they want to reconcile with him, make up for what happened in Siberia. There wasn't any way that the pair could actually _like_ Tony.

Right?

Either way that leaves him in his current situation.

Sitting in Steve and Bucky's living room. Watching as the former Winter Soldier wandered around the room aimlessly, showing Tony various pictures, and asking random questions about the pictures he wasn't present for.

Tony was doing okay, for the most part, he was at ease surprisingly enough, though it seems that despite his checkered past with Steve and Bucky, the two had an inexplicable way of relaxing him. That quickly ends though, because out of nowhere Bucky suddenly appears next to Tony and seats himself about a foot and a half away.

Tony resists the urge to flinch, instead, pasting a smile on his face as he glances up at Bucky, trying to ignore how hypnotic his intense gaze and how close they are.

Bucky says nothing as he regards Tony carefully, seeming to process something for the next few moments. Oddly enough, it's not a tense or awkward silence -though the pair of them are staring at each other- and Tony goes back to his relaxed state from before.

It seems like one of them is on the verge of saying something, when Steve suddenly walks in, bright voice breaking through the silence.

"Food's ready," Steve looks between the two of them, question clear on his face, but neither of the other men elaborates. Instead, Tony stands up and moves back towards the kitchen, leaving Bucky and a bewildered Steve to follow. He's too focused on putting some distance between him and the other two that he misses the silent conversation that passes between them.

Nevertheless, the three of them sit down at the table, Bucky only joining them after grabbing the bottle of wine and three glasses. While Steve busies himself with dishing out the food and Bucky works on opening the wine bottle, Tony quickly checks his messages and emails. The only thing that pops up on his screen is a text message from Rhodey.

_Aniyah fell asleep at the dinner table; I put her to bed so be prepared for her to wake up early tomorrow. Peter is sitting in his room, completing the last of his project for school._

_Thanks, Rhodey, you should go home. Just tell Peter to check on Aniyah a couple of times before he goes to sleep. I'm only a few floors down, and FRIDAY is keeping an eye on everything._

_Alright, just call me if you need anything Tones._

_Will do._

Tony puts the phone back in his pocket just as Steve puts down the last plate. Tony smiles, albeit a bit shyly, at Steve and graciously accepts the glass of wine Bucky offers him.

"I hope you like Italian," Steve says quietly, and the grin on Tony's face widens as a small huff of laughter leaves him.

"Steve," Tony fixes the blonde with an amused look, "my Mother was Italian. I grew up eating several traditional Italian dishes. This, in fact, is quite delicious." To prove his point, Tony returns his attention to his food and begins eating.

The food is delicious, and it seems like Steve used some legitimate recipes, instead of making the versions that are so common in America and other countries outside of Italy. Tony can recognize several of the spices he remembers watching Maria use when she would cook in his youth.

The three of them eat in peace for a few minutes, the only sounds being the clinking of their silverware and muted thumps of the glasses on the table. Tony watches in amused silence as Bucky and Steve work through no less than four plates of pasta each. Even with their accelerated metabolism, it is still shocking to Tony just how much the two of them could eat.

He gets full somewhere near the end of his second plate, and he leans back, casually sipping on his wine, as he watches the other two finish up.

A little over half an hour later, the three of them manage to clean the kitchen and dining table, and Steve suggests they watch a movie.

Tony doesn't push either of the two men to tell him exactly why they asked him over, enjoying spending time with them far too much to try and rush it. So, naturally, he agrees to the movie and settles in on the couch while Steve picks out the movie and Bucky disappears momentarily down the hallway.

The movie starts up, Steve flops down on the couch next to Tony, and Bucky appears moments later, some blankets in his arms. He hands one to both Steve and Tony, before settling himself into the far corner of the couch, arm just barely brushing Steve's.

Tony relaxes, letting the tranquility of the moment wash over him. The movie passes by quickly with Tony stealing quick looks at the other two men, noticing silently how Bucky gradually gets closer and closer to Steve. Soon, there is pratically no space between them; Steve pressed against Bucky's side, arm resting on the man's shoulder, fingers carding carefully through his hair.

Tony is so involved in the movie; he doesn't notice the two of them moving until the two of them are suddenly on either side of him. He's not quite sure how they managed this, especially without him noticing and thus causes him to startle, jerking upright in his seat.

"Sorry, Tony," Steve carefully places a hand on Tony's shoulder, urging him to sit down, "We didn't mean to startle you,"

"It's, uh, it's alright," Tony mumbles, sitting back down on the couch, though not entirely letting go of most of the tension in his body. Steve and Bucky were close, close enough that he could feel their body heat, close enough he can hear Bucky's quiet breathing, and the faint scratchy sound of Steve shifting minutely on the couch beside him. Closer than Tony expected to be for such an extended amount of time.

Cornered isn't the right word, but he got the distinct feeling that he wouldn't be able to leave until the two of them allowed him too. Not that he genuinely believes either of them will try to force him to stay. Quite the opposite actually.

He watches as Steve's icy blue eyes slip past Tony's and locks onto Bucky's, and for once, Tony is fully aware that they were communicating something to each other, despite not ever saying a word. It made Tony nervous, but also intrigued and excited him in a way he didn't fully understand.

He's about to say something, anything, to get them to explain what exactly they were up too, his brain practically screaming having two supersoldiers caging you in isn't exactly the best scenario -no matter how onboard the rest of his body is. However, he is suddenly cut short when Steve leans forward and presses his lips to Tony's, pulling a startled gasp from the smaller man.

Tony doesn't react for a moment, too shocked by the unexpected turn of events to do so. Though once he does recover, he doesn't push Steve away or remain motionless, he instead lets his arms, hesitantly, wind around Steve's shoulders, fingers carding through the messy locks of hair curling there at the nape of his neck.

A sense of _rightness_ washes over Tony, like a hole in him has been filled. The kiss isn't necessarily slow, but it's not hurried or frantic either. Desperate passion and flustered touches do not color it. Instead of the flood of emotions that Tony expected, it was like a series of small waves, filling him, settling within him until it was a simmering fire deep within him.

A minute later, Steve pulls pack, blue eyes shifting to meet brown, and Tony forgot how to breathe for a moment. For just a few seconds, he could _see_ everything that was hidden for these past weeks. What stood out the most was the warm affection that was predominant in his piercing gaze. Tony stares up at Steve for several long moments, trying to find the words to say to convey everything he wants to say.

He nearly has his thoughts gathered, is about to say something, when a warm hand grips the back of his neck, and he is suddenly pulled back into an equally warm chest. Tony inhales and exhales slowly before tilting his head back to meet the uncertain gaze pinned on him.

For a few seconds, nothing happens, neither of them move or say a word, the tension thick a thick blanket over the room. It's not necessarily a negative tension, though, more anticipatory than anything.

Tony is faintly aware of Steve sitting just feet from them, watching quietly, almost like he was waiting for something to happen. Finally, Bucky lifts his hand, gently brushing it over Tony's cheek, fixing him with a questioning look. Slowly, Tony nods, a thrill of nerves and anticipation fluttering through him, as Bucky cautiously closes the space between them, -giving Tony every chance to back out- and slots their lips together.

Unlike the kiss he shared with Steve, where everything was strangely familiar, this felt new. Tentative and exploratory. It was as if a new door of possibilities has opened before him, and all he has to do is enter. To let go of his inhibitions, let go of the months of anger and hurt, and let himself heal.

_Maybe this is it,_ he thinks to himself hazily _maybe this is what I need to heal. I started this mess with these two; perhaps they're the answer to fixing it._

No matter whether or not that thought was true, Tony still feels the last of his misplaced anger and fear melt away fully as he relaxes in Bucky's grip, slumping against his chest and surrendering as he became more belligerent. What started out as slow and uncertain, quickly became passionate and almost possessive.

_Dominant._ The thought floats through Tony's brain as a new set of hands descends on him, and suddenly Steve is right there, pressing the length of his body against Tony's.

Tony eventually has to pull away to breath, short gasps causing his chest to heave, as sweat starts to form on his face and neck. He looks between Steve and Bucky, finally managing to open his mouth and say something.

"Why?"

It's not a very eloquent question, nor does it convey everything he means to say, but it gets the primary point across.

Why? Why now? Why _Tony?_

"Tony," Steve says quietly, his voice seeming deeper than usual, as he lifts his hand to brush back a few strands of the genius's hair. "I've always.... cared about you. At first, it was purely in the sense of teammates. As team leader, it was my job to make sure everyone was okay, including you. But the more time I spent with you, the more I wanted to know. The more time I wanted to spend with you. I... I fell in love with you, Tony. I don't know when, but I do know that it's true." He glances back at Bucky, silently urging him to speak.

"Tony," he trails off here, the uncertainty in his voice damn near breaking Tony's heart, "Tony, I know I can never fully repent for what I've done to your family, to _you._ Between your parents and Siberia, it honestly came as a shock that you would even _consider_ letting me stay here. Even for a second. But you did, and you forgave me as much as you could. You've given me a place to call home, you've given me freedom. I would never have had that anywhere else. Even though it's been well over a year since the Soldier was last triggered, no one besides Stevie truly saw me as anyone _but_ the Winter Soldier. No one else could disconnect Bucky Barnes and _him._ " Bucky pauses here, fingers flexing slightly as he inhales and exhales several times. Tony knows he must be upset, but he's not afraid.

_I trust him. Fully. I never thought I would ever be able to, even after I realized what I felt. But here I am._

"But you," Tony glances back at Bucky and is blown away by the unadulterated awe that he sees in the man's eyes. He's looking at Tony like he hung the moon and stars himself. "You pointed out that I was a different person, that it wasn't _me_ doing all those _horrible things._ That night, when you told me you forgave me and that it wasn't fair to keep blaming me for what happened, I fell in love with you." he chuckles, and the sound fills Tony with that pleasant warmth from earlier. "I didn't realize it at first, of course. I thought I was just grateful, admiring maybe. But as I spent more time here, and got to know _you,_ I couldn't deny it any more."

Tony doesn't say anything right away, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are in love with _him._ Tony Stark, the man who has the worst relationship track imaginable, the man who ran from commitment when he was younger, the man who was broken, scared, and all-around a fucked-up person. They love _him,_ despite his flaws, despite the fact that just a year ago, they were all at each other's throats.

Finally, he lets the smile he's been holding back spread across his face. "Took you two long enough. I was wondering if I'd have to do something drastic to get your attention." he teases, though there is a note of vulnerability in his voice like he's scared he'll do or say something wrong.

Both Bucky and Steve ignore the man's little slip-up, knowing it would just upset him in the long run, choosing to laugh instead.

"Well," Bucky says, "Stevie's always been a bit thick, and I, unfortunately, have to follow his lead now. Considering he's _Captain America_ an all." Tony busts out laughing, his hysteria only increasing as he catches sight of Steve's half-offended facial expression.

"Well, _excuse me_ for being worried over reading the signals wrong," he huffs, even as a small smile tugs on the edges of his lips. Tony snickers and leans up to brush a kiss over them, eyes fluttering shut for a moment. He pulls away before Steve can deepen the kiss anymore, glancing over at the clock on the wall and nearly having a heart attack.

"Shit," he says to himself, moving to get up and nearly falling flat on his face. Bucky, fortunately, manages to catch him before that happens though. "Shit, it's nearly one in the morning, Peter and Aniyah are going to freak out if I don't get back upstairs soon."

Steve helps Tony to his feet, and both he and Bucky watch in amusement as the man starts grabbing his things, looking very much like a chicken with its head cut off.

Tony pauses for a moment after he's gathered everything, looking between the two supersoldiers uncertainty. His worries are dispelled though, as first Steve, then Bucky both place a chaste kiss on his lips, murmuring quiet goodnights.

"Tony," Steve suddenly calls as he heads for the elevator, and Tony turns around, looking at him expectantly. "Same time tomorrow night?"

Tony grins and gives a mock salute to him.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world Captain,"


	15. Dinner.... minus Tony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Aniyah has her first therapy appointment and things did not go quite as expected. Also, Tony has a sudden emergency at work and it's up to Steve and Bucky to save the day... with pizza?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm an so excited for the feedback I am getting from this story, I never thought it would become this popular but here we are! I'm so glad you're all enjoying it. Just some quick announcements; I'm planning on creating a separate story delving deeper into Steve, Bucky, and Tony's relationship. It's going to have some mature themes, so don't read if you don't like that. Please, I beg of you, read the tags. Also, as much as I enjoy these fluff filled chapters, I actually have a plot line to this story and I promise that it's coming soon. I really hope you guys enjoy what's coming as much as you enjoyed the previous chapters. Also, Bucky in particular was a bit ooc, but I think it fits in with the context, and that's actually how I imagine he would be with Aniyah. What do you guys think? Again, comments are welcome and Kudos feed my creativity!  
> -Daz ;)

Tony never thought he'd end up in this position.

When he accepted his responsibility for Aniyah, vowing to do his best in raising her, he knew it would be hard. But he never expected things to turn out this way.

Following their return home, Tony was helpless as he watched his typically cheerful and energetic child slowly withdraw into herself. She ate less, had more frequent nightmares, and absolutely refused to let Tony leave her sight without a fight.

Every morning ended in frantic pleads and tears, and it honestly was seriously starting to worry Tony. She ended up in his room more often than not most nights, crawling in and breaking Tony's resolve down with her teary eyes and tremulous pleas.

Steve and Bucky both expressed their concern quite often, along with the other resident heros. Even Wanda seemed to be a bit worried about the girl.

It all culminated into this.

Tony sitting in the waiting room, leg bouncing anxiously as he waits for Aniyah to come out of the little office.

Tony had been reluctant to take her to a therapist, considering her young age, but he hadn't been given much choice. It was just coincidence, he was sure, that it was only two days after he started talking about it and -tentatively- mentioning it too Aniyah when he found the advertisement sitting among his mail items.

Usually, he ignored those types of spam mail, tending to throw them away until they stopped being sent, but this one caught his attention. It was offering the services of a local children's therapist, and after extensive research, Tony found that she was actually pretty legit. She wasn't the most renowned, or the best money could buy, but Tony figured that it would be better to go small than big in this instance.

Tony jumps to his feet when the door opens, moving forward to pick up Aniyah as she reached out for him. He frowns slightly when she lays her head down on his shoulder, eyes dropping.

"She got a little tired towards the end there, has she been sleeping well?"

Tony shakes his head, sighing to himself. "I'm afraid not Doctor. Welles, she ends up with me most nights. But she tends to spend a lot of the night drifting in and out of sleep. I don't think the nightmares help any."

"Does she ever tell you anything about them?"

"Nothing, really."

"Nothing at all, " Doctor. Welles presses and Tony slowly shakes his head.

"Nothing at all," he says.

"Any complaints? Headaches, nausea, dizziness, anything?"

"I mean she complains about her head sometimes, but I just think that's because she's not eating or sleeping."

"Has she been saying anything strange? Seeming on edge when you're out in public? Saying anything out of the ordinary?"

"No," Tony says slowly, frowning, "has she said anything to you?"

"No no, our conversation today was mostly centered around her, telling me about what it's like at home and your family. She speaks very highly of her brother, at least that's who I assume it is."

"Oh, yeah, Peter. They're close to each other, Aniyah adored him from the start." Tony straightens his body, pushing away his concern over the persistent line of question. _She's just doing her job,_ he tells himself _she has to figure out what's going on with Aniyah before she can help her._

"That's wonderful, those familial bonds are going to be important in the coming week. She also spoke of some other adults in the house? I believe she said that the other Avengers are living with you and your family now?"

"Yes, several others are living with us, she's taken a shining to most of them."

"Okay, well, bring her back the same time next week, I'll pick up where we left off. Make sure she interacts with others outside of you and her brother, it will do her some good." She smiles brightly, and Tony nods slowly, offering her a smile in return and grabbing his stuff with one hand, exiting the building.

He straps Aniyah into her car seat, pressing a quick kiss to the sleeping girl's forehead, closing her door firmly and climbing into the front seat.

Steve is there to greet them when they step off the elevator, pressing a quick kiss to Tony's lips and holding out his arms towards Aniyah.

"I'll take her up to her room, she can nap until dinnertime. You go sit with Bucky, you look like you need some downtime yourself."

Tony nods, far too drained to do anything but pass Anyah over to Steve in favor of moving over to the couch. Bucky is there, holding out his arms to receive Tony, a sympathetic expression on his face. Still, he is surprised when Tony disregards the offer and opts to climb directly into Bucky's lap, nestling his head into the crook of the other man's neck.

"Hey Doll," he coos gently, pressing a kiss onto the crown of Tony's head, "hard day?"

Tony nods mutely, snuggling closer, for once allowing himself the comfort he so desperately craves and that's how Steve finds them minutes later.

He is careful not to jostle Tony when he sits down and pulls Bucky against his side. His starts stroking Tony's hair a few moments later, picking up the remote to the television, turning it on and starting to flip through the channels.

That's what Peter walks into two and a half hours later, stopping sort when he spots Bucky, Steve, and Tony cuddled up on the couch. Steve and Bucky were quietly talking as Tony slept peacefully, away on their laps. At some point, Bucky had shifted him to lay his head in Steve's lap while Bucky shifted down to sit with the genius's legs splayed over his lap.

"Oh, hello Peter," Steve greets, smiling at the teen and causing Bucky to turn to look as well.

"Hey," Peter says, looking around, "where's Aniyah?"

Steve's smile softens slightly, but he doesn't say anything about the apparent worry in the teen's voice. "She's upstairs," he points his fingers towards the stairs, "she fell asleep on the way home from her appointment. You can check on her if you want, but we're not gonna wake her up until dinnertime."

"Oh, okay," Peter says, smiling and heading upstairs, "I'm gonna go work on homework,"

"Okay bud," Steve says, pausing at the nickname but overall dismissing it. Things were changing rapidly around here, including the dynamic between Steve, Bucky, Tony and Tony's family. It was to be expected what with their blossoming relationship with said genius.

Peter nods, turning away and heading up the stairs, carefully hiding the grin that passed over his face. _Captain America likes me enough to have a nickname for me,_ he thinks gleefully to himself _wait until I tell Ned._

Which is precisely what he did as soon as he got upstairs, which resulted in Ned calling him grilling him on everything that's been happening the last few weeks. Especially after Tony explained that he and the two supersoldiers were trying to work out a relationship with each other.

"What is your, life, man," Ned asks, and Peter can hear the slight creaking of the other boys' chair over the phone as he leans back.

Peter never really knew how to answer that, to be honest. It's true, his life is unbelievable. If someone walked up to him and told him, like eight or nine months ago that he would be adopted by Tony Stark and living in the Avengers Tower with said Avengers, he probably would have punched them in the face and walked away laughing.

But here he is.

"I don't know Ned, it's crazy, but it's my life, I guess. As much as I miss Aunt May," he pauses, struggling to push down the rush of emotions that the name elicited "I love my life here, I'm happy."

"Well, that's all that matters Peter, as long as you're happy I'm cool. But just remember, if it ever becomes too much, my mom has already said you're welcome to stay for a few days or weeks over here."

"I know Ned, I'll keep that in mind," Peter says quietly, pulling out his textbooks and flopping them on his desk.

"Okay," he pauses for a moment, "hold on, I'll be right back,"

"Okay,"

Ned sets the phone down, if the muffled shuffling and thump is anything to go by, and quiet, voices can be heard just faintly, too low for even Peter's advanced hearing to pick up.

"Hey, did you ask your dad about this weekend,"

A strange emotion is elicited at hearing Tony be referred to as his Dad, but Peter quickly pushes it away and focuses on the question. "Umm, no, I was planning on doing that tonight. I need to make sure he doesn't need me to watch Aniayh,"

"Alright, well, just let me know, my Mom said she'd pick us up from school."

"Alright," Peter says quietly, glancing down at the stack of books and papers on his desk, "Hey, I'll talk to you later man, I have to get this homework done before dinner."

"Okay, Pete," Ned replies, "I'll see you in school tomorrow. Don't forget to ask your Dad about this weekend."

"I won't," with that Peter hangs up, pushing his chair back to roll over to his nightstand and plug his phone in. He moves back to his desk and spreads out his homework, looking over everything he had to get done for tomorrow. After putting away the things he doesn't need, he stands up and exits the room, crossing the hallways to Aniyah's room.

He pushes open the door slightly, peering into the darkened room, light only by the faint streams of sunlight through the curtained window. He spots Aniyah sprawled out, half her body hanging off the bed. Peter snorts quietly, shaking his head in amusement, before pushing open the door fully and moving closer to the sleeping girl.

He carefully shifts her entirely onto the bed, tucking the covers around her and pressing a kiss to her forehead, brushing her hair out of her face gently. She sighs quietly, shifting restlessly, before she relaxes, face smoothing out and falling deeper into sleep.

Content, Peter leaves the room and slips halfway down the stairs, peering into the living room below. Tony, Bucky, and Steve are still sitting on the couch, Tony still out cold, though this time, Steve is also asleep. Bucky is amusing himself with a book, t.v having been shut off at some point.

Reassured that everything was okay, he creeps back up to his room, closing the door behind him, and moving back to his desk. He flops down with a sigh, spinning the chair around to survey the room.

In the last few months, the room has changed from the empty, impersonal living space -meant for the occasional guest, and overall not fitting for a long-term resident- to an area, Peter now can call his own. The large, king bed that once dominated the room has been replaced with a bunk bed, which was pushed up into the corner.

Dresser and armor replaced with a smaller dresser and a desk. ON the office was a brand new, state-of-the-art computer -complete with various applications meant for building and designing his ideas, direct assess to the Spider-Man suit files- a lamp, and two picture frames. In one picture, Tony, Peter, Aniayh, and Rhodey are all grinning at the camera, Aniyah clinging to Peter as the teen stands between the two adults. In the other picture, is Aunt May, Uncle Ben, and Peter, dating back from when Peter was still little.

Next to the desk is a bookshelf, and beyond that, a closet -filled with more clothes than Peter knows what to do with- while the walls are filled with more pictures -each depicting various times in Peter's life, including after Aunt May's death- and a couple awards.

Peter sighs, turning to face the desk fully, pulling the closest textbook closer to him, and picking up his pencil. _Better get this done before it gets too late, I don't think Dad will appreciate me skipping another night of sleep._

It is precisely 5:30 when Peter is interrupted by a quiet knock on his door. "Come in," he calls, barely looking up from the current passage he's been immersed in for the last ten minutes.

The door opens up slowly, and Steve pokes his head in. "Hey Pete," he says quietly, drawing the attention of the startled teen.

"Oh! Hey Captain Rogers, sir" Peter says, sitting upright in his chair. "Did you need something?"

"Please, Peter, call me Steve, you make me feel like an old man when you call me that," Steve laughs warmly, and Peter finds himself relaxing a bit. There was something about him that just put him at ease, and it seemed to be true for nearly everyone else as well.

"Okay, Steve, can I do something for you?"

"Well," Steve steps into the room entirely, "your Dad had something important pop up at work, and he asked Bucky and me to take Aniayh and you to dinner. I just needed your help getting Aniyah up and ready, she's been sleeping for longer than we intended."

"Oh," Peter says, standing up and closing his book carefully, marking his page with his notes, "okay. I can go wake up Aniyah and get her dressed and into her shoes. She'll probably want something new to wear since she tends to sweat quite a bit when she's sleeping.

"Alright, I'll just wait downstairs with Bucky then," Steve says, flashing a small smile before stepping out of the room, Peter barely able to discern the sounds of his footsteps. It was surprising how a man of his size could move so lightly, even Peter had a hard time predicting his approach most of the time.

After a quick glance around his room, Peter pulls on his own shoes and exits his room, closing the door behind him.

It takes him precisely fifteen minutes to get Aniyah awake wrangle her into some new clothing and her tennis shoes. The girl is obviously still exhausted, which is unusual, but Peter just puts it down to being a long day. He remembers having to go to therapy appointments for those first few months after Aunt May's death, he was always mentally and physically drained after them.

Steve and Bucky are waiting downstairs as promised, Bucky moving forward to help Peter adjust Aniyah's jacket so it can be zipped. It has been getting progressively chillier as each week passed, and while most other people could handle the difference in temperature, Tony quickly figured out that Aniyah has a sensitivity to even slightly cold temperatures.

"Alright, we ready to go?" Steve asks, pressing the button to summon the elevator. Peter nods his assent, nudging Aniyah slightly to gain her attention.

"Where we going?" she asks, yawning slightly, eyes still dropping a bit.

"To dinner, sweetheart, remember? I told you when I woke you up." Peter says, worry clawing at his stomach slightly. A therapy appointment couldn't have been so exhausting that Aniyah isn't even able to function.

_What if she's getting sick?_ Peter wonders to himself, discreetly trying to pass his hand over her forehead. He fails his attempts to go unnoticed apparently because suddenly Steve scoops up Aniyah and presses his lips to the crown of her head.

"You sure are tired, huh? We must have let you sleep too long," he mutters, but Peter notices the look he shoots Bucky, and how Bucky immediately pulls his phone out, typing something down on the screen.

"Is she okay?" he asks Bucky quietly, as Steve steps through the elevator doors, Aniyah still nestled in his arms.

"Just a bit of a fever, kiddo, nothing to worry about," Bucky replies easily, and Peter nods slowly, put as ease by the quiet confidence in the man's voice despite himself.

_He's right_ , Peter thinks to himself, _a fever isn't anything to freak out over. Aniyah runs hotter than most people anyway, it might just be because she's just waking up._

That thought in mind, Peter steps onto the elevator, taking up a spot next to Steve to look up into Aniyah's face, taking in her face and listening to her breathing and heart rate. It all seems relatively healthy, so Peter relaxes fully.

Moments later they are stepping out into the car garage, and Peter watches as Bucky pulls out a set of car keys, pressing the unlock button on them and causing one of Tony's cars to light up. This specific car is less flashy than the others, one of the few that Tony has that's actually reasonably discreet, and can fit all of them comfortably, and still have room left over.

"Tony did have a booster seat installed in this car, right?" Steve asks distractedly, circling around to the passengers' side and peering into the window.

"Yep, he had FRIDAY order a booster seat for all the vehicles, so we always have one no matter what."

"Ah, yes, I see it," Steve says, opening up the passenger door and placing Aniyah into her seat carefully, strapping her in and making sure everything is secure.

Peter circles to the driver's side and slides into the backseat, shutting the door firmly behind himself. He quickly buckles his seatbelt and turns to Aniyah, smiling at her. "Hey kiddo," he says quietly, "how was your day? Did your appointment go, alright?"

"Mhmm, Dr. Welles was nice I guess," the girl mutters, looking out the window. "How was your day, Petey?"

"It was okay, I had a surprise quiz in my history class,"

"That's not fun,"

"Eh, so what did you and the Doc talk about?"

"What's been going on at home, I guess. She kept asking questions about Daddy, and you, an the others."

"She probably just wants to get an idea of what lives like for you at home with us."

"Mmm" Aniyah doesn't say anything more, staring intently out the window instead of looking at Peter, and the teen decides it's better to drop it. Aniyah would talk when she was ready too.

"So, what kind of food do you guys like?" Steve asks from the front seat, and Peter looks up, only to pause. Steve was sitting in the passengers' seat, Bucky in the drivers, looking back at them. It was such an odd sight for some reason, somehow Peter assumed it would be _Steve_ that did any of the driving and such. It just seemed like he wouldn't like being chauffeured around, the man always being so adamant on freedom and self-sustainability.

"I don't know how to fully drive belive it or not," Steve says, smiling wryly, "I never got the chance before I took the serum and joined the military. Buck here can though, he learned back when we were teens so he could get us places when he had too. Outside of a motorcycle, I know nothing beyond the basics."

"Trust me, kid, you don't want Steve behind the wheel," the man shudders, actually _shudders,_ "it's scary."

"I'm not _that_ bad Buck, I handle motorcycles just fine."

Bucky snorts, rolling his eyes in exasperation."Stevie, you practically gave me a heart attack every time you got on that infernal bike, I was _terrified_ you were going to crash it and get yourself hurt, or worse, killed."

Steve laughs, shaking his head and shooting a mirthful look back at Peter and Aniyah, "That's because you're an old man, no matter what I do you're going to be practically kneeling over from the stress. You're too overprotective for your own good."

Bucky snorts, "Hey now, that _overprotectiveness_ is the reason why you actually lived long enough to take the serum and join the military in the first place."

"I know," Steve smile softens slightly, "I don't know what I would have done without you, Buck,"

"I mean you did crash a plane, so I guess that's what happened when he wasn't there to stop you," Peter says, his thoughts once again completely bypassing the brain to mouth filter, freezing in mortification immediately after. He's momentarily terrified he might have gone too far or said the wrong thing when both Steve _and_ Bucky burst into laughter.

"You're right Pete, I quite literally _crashed_ and very nearly _burned_ without Bucky here around to keep me in line,"

"Damn straight," Bucky mutters, though he shoots a grin at Peter in the mirror and the last of the teen's tension melts away. Even Aniyah has perked up enough to laugh, a small smile crossing her features, and Peter feels a sense of _rightness_ fill him. It was like that moment with Tony on the way back to New York from their vacation all over again.

"So, dinner?" Steve asks again, twisting in his seat to look back at Aniyah and Peter, "What do you guys like to eat?"

"Pizza!" Aniyah says instantly, and Peter chuckles before shrugging. "Aniyah apparently likes pizza."

Steve nods slowly, "Do you know of any dine-in pizza places then, I didn't think about just ordering in. I don't know why."

"Actually," Peter says slowly, "I do."

About thirty minutes later they're pulling into the parking lot of a very familiar building. Steve unfolds his ginormous frame and climbs out of the car, opening up Aniyah's door to help her get out as well. Peter gets out, following Bucky up to the entrance, Aniyah, and Steve following right behind them.

"Ah! Peter! It's good to see you, my boy!" Peter is immediately bombarded by a familiar man, managing to return the sudden hug after a moment of shock.

"Hey Mr. Cavallo, it's been a while."

Mr. Cavallo pulled back and fixed Peter with a sympathetic look, and the teen knew exactly what was coming, mentally preparing himself for it. "I'm so sorry about May, she was a lovely lady. She is terribly missed around here." he glances surreptitiously at Steve, Bucky, and Aniyah, awe, and curiosity evident in his gaze.

"Thank you, Mr. Cavallo, it's been a long road, but things are starting to get better. Can we have a table?"

"Of course, of course, right this way, my boy!"

The group is quickly seated in a secluded part of the restaurant, well out of view of other patrons. Peter was grateful not really wanting to deal with the attention they would receive otherwise. As it was, Peter could see Mr.Cavallo barely contained himself as it was, considering Captain America was in his restaurant. But really, Peter didn't want to deal with people trying to sneak pictures of all of them together, and more importantly, of Aniyah. She already has enough attention pinned on her as it is.

"Your server will be right with you," and with that Mr.Cavallo dismissed himself, heading back to the front of the restaurant.

"You know him?" Steve asks quietly, and Peter slowly nods, glancing around the room.

"Aunt May and I used to come here sometimes, Uncle Ben loved it. It was a tradition of ours, we would go once a week to either the Chinese place down the road from our apartment of we would come here, that lasted after Uncle Ben died." he shrugs and plasters on a smile as the server approaches.

"Hi, my name's Sarah, and I'll.... be.. your.. server today..." poor Sarah trails off, obviously in shock, as she spots Steve. "Um, what can I get you to drink?" she says, obviously flustered, as she passes out the menus to each of them.

"Coke," Peter says, saving her from the embarrassing moment of silence as Steve seems to be just as caught off guard by Sarah as she is of him. As for Bucky, the man was barely containing his amusement of the situation, somehow managing to keep a straight face through most of the trainwreck of an introduction.

"Oh, of course, hun, and for the little one?"

"Chocolate milk, if you have it, if not" Steve pauses, surveying Aniyah.

"We have chocolate milk, sir," Sarah rushes to assure, blushing slightly as she jots down the two drink orders. "And for you two," she asks, looking rapidly between Bucky and Steve.

"Coffee, black," Bucky mutters, and Steve nods his head in agreement.

"I'll have the same," he adds on, and Sarah nods jerkily, writing it down and quickly dismissing herself.

"I'll have that right out," as soon as she disappeared, Aniyah startled giggling, and Peter gave in as well.

"You caught her off the guard, Stevie," Bucky says, grinning, and Steve huffs, an to Peter's shock a bit of a blush spreads across his face.

"It's just cause I'm Captain America Bucky, nothing else."

"Mmmhmmm, sure. It wasn't because you are one of two of the prettiest things around," Bucky says, a teasing lilt coloring his tone.

Steve rolls his eyes, before the two dissolves into a conversation about what they should get to eat, pausing momentarily to ask for Aniyah and Peter's input. Peter is left in his thoughts for a moment, and once again, they get the better of him.

"Doesn't it bother you?" Peter suddenly asks, blushing a bit when his brain caught up with what his mouth said.

"Doesn't what bother me?" Bucky asks, turning his attention to the teen, and Peter shrugs.

"People reacting like that? Haven't you two been together for a while now? Doesn't it bother you when people try to flirt or respond in that way?"

"It used too, but that was before I realized that people are always going to react. You'll figure that out as you get older, kid," Bucky leans back in his seat and shrugs "Anyways, I know your Dad and Stevie here have not to interest any anyone else besides each other and me."

Peter nods slowly, processing that information. "Huh, okay," he says, trying to match that statement up with what he's seen of relationships so far. It also surprises him that it doesn't bother him that he's sitting here with Captain America and the former Winter Soldier, casually discussing how they react to other people intruding upon their relationship with each other and with his Dad.

"So do you like anyone?" Bucky suddenly asks, and Peter starts, entirely unprepared for the question.

"Huh?" he asks intelligently, staring open-mouthed at Bucky, causing the long-haired man to laugh.

"I asked if you liked anyone Peter, a young man like you _has_ to have the dames chasing after ya." Bucky's voice is casual, but there's a distinct teasing lilt to it, and Peter finds himself struggling to connect the Bucky he knows - the one that usually broods in the corner of the common room, not really speaking or reaction much- to the one sitting in front of him.

"Um, well there is a girl I like, but she's definitely not interested. I'm not very popular at my school,"

"Really?" Steve asks, curiosity coloring his tone, "You don't have any problems with anyone, do you?" and Peter is once again surprised by the worried almost _protective_ tone that Steve suddenly speaks in.

"No, well except this one guy Flash, but he's harmless really. He doesn't mess with me as much anymore, not since Aunt May died. I think he feels bad or something,"

"But you had problems with him before?" Bucky asks, and Peter nods reluctantly.

"I mean, yeah, technically, he wasn't always the nicest. But I never let it bother me, we're cool now. We kinda just acknowledge others when we have too and get on with our lives.

The two men mull this over for a minute before seeming to accept the answer.

"Alight," Bucky says, leaning forward a bit. "So about this girl,"

Peter groans -causing Aniyah to giggle a bit, looking up from the coloring page that Mr. Cavallo had given her- leaning his head into his hands. "Really, Mr.Barnes?"

"Bucky," the man automatically corrects, as he nods his head "and of course. It's important, Peter," the teasing note is back, but Peter just shakes his head, a small smile crossing his features.

"Well, her names M.J. She goes to my school, and she's.. .well shes pretty much the most badass girl I've met in my life. Everyone is kinda scared of her at school, but she's really sweet and funny once you get to know her. Aniyah really likes her, don't you kiddo?'

"Uhuh," Aniyah says looking up, a small smile crossing her face, "I like M.J, she's really nice, and she's so cool too,"

"Dad likes her too I guess, but he takes way to much enjoyment out of teasing me about her,"

Bucky and Steve both nod, before Bucky turns to Aniyah, "And what about you short stack," he says, obviously joking, but putting on a serious front all the same. "You have anyone you like?"

"Eww, no, that's gross," Aniyah says, scrunching her face up and glaring slightly at Bucky.

"Ah, forgive me," Bucky says, placing his hand over his chest in a somewhat dramatic pose, causing Steve to laugh, " I forget these things, because, according to this one," he indicates Steve with a jerk of his head, "I'm a senile, old man." Steve busts out laughing, barely able to control himself, as he leans over to brace himself on the table. Peter joins in with him, as Aniyah sits there, seeming to process something for a minute.

"But.." she asks slowly, after everyone calmed down somewhat, "if he's about your age, doesn't that make him a "senile old man" as well?"

This time it's Bucky's turn to double over in laughter as Steve sits there, stuck between pretending to be offended and laughing as well, Peter is sent into another bout of laughter.

This is how Sarah finds them when she returns with their drinks, giving them a strange look before placing the cups down and pulling out her pad once more.

"Are you ready to order your food?" she asks, considerably calmer now, and impressively she stays that way even after Steve flashes a smile and nods, all boyish looks and charming attitude.

"Yes, ma'am, we'll have the-" and that's where Peter is distracted by his phone. He pulls it out and checks the screen, happily surprised to see it's Tony.

_Hey Bud, how's dinner gong? Sorry I couldn't be there._

_Hey Dad, it's going fine. It's alright, Steve told me that you had something come up with work._

_I see we're on a first-name basis with Cap then, that's good. Is Aniyah okay? I got Bucky's text._

_He told me to call him Steve, and yeah Anihah's fine. She had a hard time waking up at first, but she seems better now, she and Bucky are coloring._

That was the truth actually, Bucky at some point had moved his chair closer to Aniyah and picked up one of the crayons, helping her color in the pictures. Steve was watching on fondly, utterly relaxed in his seat.

_Adorable. See if you can sneak a picture, that's perfect blackmail material._

Peter snorts, but lifts his phone up discreetly and snaps the picture. It truly is an adorable picture. Bucky is leaning close to Aniyah, talking to her quietly and carefully filling in the images with his crayon. Aniyah has a big smile on her face, ecstatic to have someone's attention. Steve is just visible in the background, affectionate smile firmly in place as he looks on to the scene before him. Peter sends it, returning his phone to his lap, somehow managing not to draw anyone's attention.

_Aniyah looks quite pleased with herself, doesn't she?_

_I'm more concerned about the goofy look Steve has on his face, I'd never thought I'd see Captain America make such a sappy expression._

_You really are my kid, you know that. Only my kid would notice something like that. Anyways, I have to go soon, make sure Aniyah gets to bed okay. If you need to, the two of you can move to my bedroom, she sleeps better in there._

_Okay, enjoy your board meeting. I love you._ Peter doesn't let himself hesitate in sending the message, praying that it wasn't going too far, though at this point he really should know better than to think that. His worries prove to be wrong because seconds later, the response pops up on his screen.

_Love you too, Pete._

Peter grins, sliding his phone in his pocket and looking up just in time to see Sarah reappearing, two pizza trays in hand.

"Oh good, the foods here," Steve says, motioning to Bucky to put away the crayons and coloring sheet.

"Good," Peter says brightly, "I'm _starving."_

Steve chuckles, nodding in agreement as the pizza was placed in front of them, Aniyah practically bouncing in her seat. The kid really did love pizza.

"Just let me know if you need anything else," Sarah chirps before disappearing once more.

"Dig in, Peter, I promised your Dad I'd make sure you eat enough. Help yourself, we can get more if we need too," Steve says, motioning to the pans, as he pulls a piece of pepperoni pizza to the side to give to Aniyah. "Here you go sweetheart, don't burn yourself,"

"Thank you!" Aniyah chirps, blowing on her pizza a bit to gry ad get it to cool down some. The only thing it really did was cause her face to turn red from blowing too hard, and for her face to scrunch up in the funniest way.

They all laughed amusedly for a few minutes before Bucky, taking pity on her when she shot him the puppy dog eyes, leaned forward and showed her how to cut up the pieces, so it had time to cool.

"What?" he asks defensively when Steve and Peter gave him strange looks, "It'll be easier for her to chew anyways,"

Steve snorts, shooting Peter a grin, before shaking his head and picking up his own piece of pizza. Peter grins back, and everything is almost perfect.

_It's almost as if we're a family,_ he thinks to himself _the only thing that could make it better is if Dad was here._

Still, it was as perfect as their little evening was going to get, though Peter still vowed to convince Dad to let them do this again sometime, but next time they definitely would be forcing him to stop working long enough to join them.


	16. New Circumstances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve is faced with some startling, but welcome, revelations with his relationship with Peter, and Tony receives some less than happy news from Pepper.

Things were much better during the following, and a happy bliss seemed to fall over the Tower, only growing as Thanksgiving -along with Christmas- grew closer and closer. 

With each passing day, Steve and Bucky settled further and further into their new roles with Tony and the kids. Aniyah quickly came to be just as attached to the pair as she was the rest of her family. Peter himself, seemed to be growing closer with them, slowly relaxing and opening up to them just as he had with Tony. 

It hadn't taken long for them to move into the penthouse fully, Steve and Bucky taking up lodging with Tony in his room -the floor downstairs remaining stocked in case either of them - or Tony - needed some space. 

Steve and Bucky both took over the responsibilities of the house and with the kids. This opened up some extra time for Tony, helping keep his workload from overwhelming him again. Bucky drove Aniyah to her appointments, Steve made sure everyone ate all three meals, both of them helped Peter with his homework - some of the more complicated stuff was sent to Tony though-, and both took over caring for Aniyah during the day. The only time a babysitter was called, was in the case that both of them were required to do something -whether that be something SHIELD related, or otherwise. 

By the time November rolled around, everything had settled into a comfortable flow. This particular morning, Steve had made breakfast early enough to feed Peter and Tony before they each had to go off to school and work. Tony appeared long enough to eat his food and greet each of them - including Aniyah who somehow still woke up earlier than Peter did- before disappearing down into his lab. 

Peter came down to eat moments later, before going back upstairs to get dressed and make sure his bag is packed. It was about twenty minutes after that that Steve's phone pinged. The blonde pulled out the device and flicked it open, reading the text from Happy. 

_ Here to pick up the kid. _

"Peter, Happy's here to pick you up," Steve calls, grabbing the lunch he made for the teen and exiting the kitchen. Just as he made it to the elevator doors, Peter came thumping down the stairs, bag slung over his shoulders, trying to yank his shoes on as he walked. "Don't forget that Bucky is picking you up today to take you to your appointment. We'll have dinner at a later time since your Dad's going to be busy, so if you want to go to your friend's house for a while afterward, that's fine."

"Okay, I'll ask Ned when I get to school," Peter says, he grabs the lunch and steps onto the elevator as the door opens. "Thanks for making my lunch."

"No problem, have a good day at school,"

"Okay, Dad, bye," Peter says, somewhat distractedly, as the doors close, leaving Steve to stare in shock at where Peter had just been standing. It takes him a minute to shake himself from his stupor and return to the kitchen. Some of his amazement must be showing on his face, because Bucky stands up the moment he sees him, crossing the grab onto his shoulders. 

"You okay, Stevie?" he asks, voice concerned, and Steve can only nod, mouth moving wordlessly for a few moments. 

'Yeah," he finally manages to say, "I just... Peter just called me Dad,"

Bucky's eyes widen slightly, before his face relaxes into a smile, a small chuckle leaving him. "Is that all?" 

"Is that  _ all?  _ Bucky, he literally called me Dad, he only just started calling Tony that a few months ago." 

"Steve, I already knew this would happen. He already subconsciously sees us as a second set of parental figures, just as he does Tony, so it's only natural that eventually, he would be comfortable enough to call us Dad or some variation of that." 

Steve nods slowly, a grin crossing over his face. 

"I know Buck, it just caught me off guard." He glances over at Aniyah, who is sitting there coloring quietly, the smile only growing. It was amazing how, in such a short period, his entire life has changed. He's not complaining though. He has everything he's ever wanted, and he'll be damned before he lets someone - or something- take that away from him. 

He crosses over to Aniyah, dropping a kiss on her head, and drawing her attention. 

"Hiya," she says, blinking up at him, hand poised over her coloring page. 

"Hey, kiddo, whatcha drawin' there?" he asks, and Aniyah smiles brightly, lifting up her picture. 

"I'm just coloring in this picture Daddy printed out for me, it has all the old Avengers on it." 

Steve glances down at the cartoon picture and takes it gently from her, looking over the figures. "It sure does sweetheart, you're coloring it all pretty too." 

Aniyah nods her head, bouncing a bit in her seat as she takes the picture back and continues to color.

"Do you like to draw?" Steve asks, picking up another page, this one hand-drawn, to look at it. It's actually very well done, especially considering Aniyah's age. 

"Mhmm, it's fun, and Daddy gets me all sorts of cool art supplies."

"That's nice, this is very well done. I like it," he replies, setting the picture, and Aniyah glances up to look at it. 

"Oh! That's my drawing of my family. See," she picks it up. "pointing at all the picture. I even put Uncle Clint and Auntie Nat, in there." 

"I see that you did a good job, kiddo."

"You can have it if you want, I have lots of pictures." 

"Thank you kiddo," Steve says, picking up the picture again with a smile. She really was too cute for her own good. "Can you be good for Bucky for a few minutes, I have to go check on something."

"Mhmm," Aniyah nods her head distractedly, picking up another crayon carefully. "That's okay," 

"Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes." 

With that, he stands up, shooting a look at Bucky -who nods his assent and takes the seat Steve just vacated- and exits the room. He heads to the elevator and boards. 

"FRIDAY," he calls out, pausing his hand over the buttons on the wall. 

"Wes Captain Rogers?" the A.I. responds, startling Steve despite having called. 

"Oh," he clears his throat, "can you tell me where Tony is?"

"Boss is currently in his lab. He hasn't left since he went down after breakfast this morning."

"Oh, can you take me to the lab then?"

"Of course Captain Rogers,"

"Thank you FRIDAY," Steve says, relaxing slightly,

"You're welcome," the A.I. returns, and if Steve didn't know better, he'd say that her voice sounded warm. Tony was right when he said that his creations sometimes can take on a mind of their own. He still remembers how humanlike JARVIS was. 

The doors slide open with a ding, and Steve exits, heading through the few doors that lead into the lab, relieved that it wasn't on lockdown. Tony sometimes did that to keep Aniyah and Peter out when he was busy or doing something that was too dangerous to have them wandering around. Currently, the man is leaning over what looks like a phone, face a mask of concentration, music blaring loudly over the hidden speakers. 

"FRIDAY, can you get his attention," he asks before stepping into the room, having to raise his voice even though he's still standing in the hallway. 

"Of course Captain Rogers," and no sooner than the words were said, the music cuts off, causing Tony to look up sharply. 

"FRIDAY, turn the music back on," he calls out, slightly irritated, and Steve chuckles, opening the door and stepping into the room. 

"I'm sorry, Boss, but Captain Rogers is here to see you," the A.I. replies, and yes, that's definitely snark that Steve is hearing. 

"What?" Tony turns and catches sight of Steve, "Oh, sorry FRIDAY, I didn't realize he was down here."

"Quite alright Boss," 

"Hey handsome, I wasn't expecting to see you down here until lunch. It isn't lunch yet, right?" Tony glances at the clock for a moment, a bit of worry flashing across his face. 

"No, I just wanted to come down to make sure you were okay. You've been working so much lately," Steve crosses the room to pull Tony into a hug, ignoring the smell of sweat and gas that was clinging to the man.

"Well, I'm certainly not complaining," Tony says, pressing closer to Steve with a sigh, "I have something I needed to tell you anyways. It's kind of important." 

"What is it?" Steve asks, releasing Tony and stepping around him to sit on one of the various barstools around the lab. 

"Well, I just got a phone call from Pepper," Tony says, following after Steve. The blonde pulls him between his legs, wrapping his arms around the man's waist, tucking him securely into the front of his body. 

"Mhmm, and?"

"I need to go to Japan for a week or two." 

Steve blinks, not really sure how to respond to that for a moment.

"That's..." 

"I'm not happy about it Steve, I don't want to leave Aniyah and Peter, or you and Buck, but the company we're talking too won't deal unless I'm there. In person. Pepper already tried to convince them to speak with me over a video call and even offered to fly them out here. They refused both offers." 

"Oh, so, do you need Bucky and I to take care of the kids?" 

"If you're comfortable with it, I know that you've only had to deal with them for a day or two in a row by yourselves. This is asking a lot. Aniyah has to-"

"Tony," Steve interrupts, covering Tony's mouth with his hand. "Buck and I know how to take care of the kids, we've been helping you do that for the last several weeks, remember? We'll be just fine for a couple weeks without you here."

"I know, Steve, I know. It's just..." he trails off, running his hands through his hair agitatedly, mussing it up more than it already was. "I've never been away from Aniyah this long before. Hell, I haven't been away from her for more than a few hours,  _ maybe  _ a day since she came to live with me. I'm worried about how she'll react, and I'm worried _ I  _ won't be able to handle it. Not to mention Peter. I'm concerned that he's never going to fully adjust to having you and Buck here and-"

"Well, actually," Steve interrupts, busying his hands with fixing Tony's messed up hair, "I don't think you're going to have to worry much about Peter at all."

"Why's that?" Tony asks, curious despite his current agitation. 

" He called me Dad today as he was leaving for school." 

Tony's mouth drops open as he flounders for words, Steve's earlier shock crossing over his face, though it is quickly replaced by relief and delight. 

"That's great, Steve, that's really  _ really  _ good actually. I was starting to think he had misgivings with the two of you starting a relationship with me. He... he did see me when I came back from, you know..." He trails off, a dark look crossing over his face, dimming the light in his eyes slightly. Steve pulls him closer to his chest, smoothing his hands over the smaller man's back, guilt choking him. 

"I know sweetheart, and I'm so sorry about that. He shouldn't have had to see that, and it's my fault you ended up like that in the first place." he presses a tender kiss to Tony's forehead, tightening his grip slightly. "This, at least shows that he's moving past his initial issues with Bucky and me, and starting to accept us as..." 

"His  _ other  _ Dad's?" 

"Yeah, that's one way to put it. I was going for parental figures, but I like that better."

Tony laughs, nodding his head and pressing closer to Steve for a moment, enjoying the provided warmth and comfort. "Are you sure you and Bucky will be okay? Peter may not have many problems but Aniyah sure as hell will."

"Aniyah likes me, and she  _ adores  _ Buck. We'll make sure she gets to her therapy appointments and takes her medicine, and we'll ensure her schedule remains unchanged. The only thing that will change is that you aren't here Tones. Yes, she'll probably be upset at first, but she'll get over it. She'll come to realize that you're coming back, and until then she has Peter, Bucky, and myself here with her."

"Alright" Tony finally concedes, moving to his tiptoes to plant a kiss on Steve's mouth. "I don't know what I'd do without you and Buck,"

Steve grins, pulling Tony in for another kiss. "You'd be just fine, if anyone can juggle running a business, dealing with public affairs, and raise two kids, I'd be you." 

"Well, thanks anyway," 

"No problem, sweetheart," Steve rubs their noses together, basking in their moment of intimacy. It was something he'd never thought he'd have, but here he was. He had one of the two loves of his life in his arms, while the other is upstairs caring for one of their kids, the second safely at school. 

"I guess we better head upstairs and tell Bucky and Aniyah, she's not gonna be happy."

Steve nods, standing up and linking his fingers with Tony's, "Probably not, but things will turn out okay in the end, Tony, trust me."

Tony smiles, squeezing Steve's hand affectionately, as he leads the way to the door and the hallways beyond.

"Always." 


	17. Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More relevations with both Bucky and Steve's relationships with both kids, and Tony leaves for his trip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry it's been a while since my last post, I've been dealing with some stuff at home. There might be some odd spacings in my posts the next couple weeks while I figure stuff out, so apologies for that. Anyways, I'm super excited with how well this story is going and the feedback I'm getting, your support means everything to me. I promise things are going to pick up with this story, meaning that there's going to be more plot -and less fluff filled chapters- in the future. Depending on the reader that can be good or bad. I'm also going to be starting up my other story for this series, this one will be focused more on Tony's relationship with Bucky and Steve. WARNING: this story is going to be rated mature, as it has some serious adult theming. There will be smut. Just a warning. If you don't like that, or you aren't comfortable with that, please don't read. You have been warned. There will also be some plot progression and plenty of fluff there as well. Again, critics, suggestions, and/ or requests are appreciated and kudos feed my brain.  
> -Daz :)

Aniyah, as predicted,  _ wasn't  _ happy when told that Tony had to leave, and her upset only increased when she learned that it could be for a few  _ weeks.  _ She spent the rest of the day in her room, refusing to come out to eat lunch, and denying the opportunity to spend time with the three adults later that afternoon.

Peter took it much better, even going upstairs to talk to Aniyah - but only after he had an admittedly, awkward talk with Steve. Though, in the end, Peter was convinced his little slip up wasn't a mistake at all. After that, he had a long talk with Aniyah, managing to persuade her to come down for dinner, though it still was a tense affair. 

It ended with Aniyah doing her chores and quickly disappearing up to her room, breaking Tony's heart just a bit. He understood, of course, he knew from the beginning that Aniyah would take it hard. She was still extremely attached to him, despite some improvements being seen since Bucky and Steve moved in, and as such would have a hard time with his absence. He just hated that the first time he has to leave is going to be such a long trip. The last time he had this long of a business trip was several months before Aniyah's arrival. 

He was woken early the next morning by Bucky, who mumbles something about knocking at their door, before collapsing back on the bed. Shaking his head amusedly, Tony rolls out of his bed and crosses to the door, subconsciously noticing Steve's absence.

_He must have gone out on his run early today,_ Tony thinks as he opens up the door, he is surprised and relieved, to see Aniyah standing there. 

"Hey, baby, what're you doing up so early?" Tony asks quietly, leaning on the doorframe. 

"I..." the girl trials off, and Tony's heart breaks just a bit more as he watches tears well up in her eyes. "I'm sorry I was such a brat yesterday. I just don't want you to go away, I'm scared you won't come back."

Tony isn't able to control himself anymore, as the first sobs start up. He immediately scoops Aniyah up into his arms, cuddling her to his chest. "It's okay sweetheart, I know, I don't want to leave either. But, Aniyah," he grasps her chin, tilting her head up to meet her eyes, "I have to baby," Naiyah's face crumples and Tony sighs, pressing a kiss to her forehead, "I know it's hard, but things are going to be just fine. You'll have Pete, Bucky, and Steve here with you, and I promise I'll call you as often as I can. I'll be back before you know it." 

As he's talking, Tony turns and heads back into the room, moving towards the bed where Bucky is sitting up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. 

"What's going on?" he asks, yawning slightly as he takes in Tony and Aniyah. "Hey, there darlin', what's with the tears?" Aniyah looks over at Bucky and immediately holds out her arms to him.

"Papa," she chokes out, and both Bucky and Tony freeze, looking at her in amazement. A grin splits across Bucky'sface as he leans forward, pulling Aniyah from Tony's grip and bringing her to his own body. 

"It's okay darlin', stop crying now. Papa's got you." he coos, a look of utter delight on his face, as he rocks back and forth gently. "Wait till I tell Stevie," he says, smugly, "he may have gotten Peter, but I got _this_ sweetheart." he tickles Aniyah a bit, pulling a small giggle, momentarily halting her tears. 

Tony laughs, shaking his head as he climbs back into the bed. Of course, that is the moment that Steve decides to walk in, freezing in the doorway as he takes in the scene their little group makes. He's still wearing his running gear, still looking as perfect as ever, not a trace of sweat present, as per usual. 

"What's going on here?" he finally, asks, crossing the room to stand at the end of the bed.

"Well, Aniyah here woke us up so she could apologize for her behavior yesterday, but she still quite upset that I'm leaving. Currently, _Papa's_ taking care of comforting her," 

It takes Steve a few moments, the man looking between Tony and Bucky, taking in the formers delight and the latter's obvious smug expression. He rolls his eyes, a small grin crossing his features. "Go ahead and say it, Buck, I know you want to."

"I don't got nothin' to say, Stevie," 

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Steve says, rolling his eyes in amusement. He circles the bed and pulls Aniyah into his arms, planting her on his hip. "Why don't we go find something to eat, I was thinking about pancakes. What do you think kiddo?" he pokes Aniyah in the stomach, pulling a giggle from her. "There's that pretty laugh, now dry your tears. If you're good, I'll even let you help me."

"Okay, Dad," she says, a small smile crossing her face, and Steve shoots a grin at Bucky and Tony. 

"Not so special now, are we?" he calls over his shoulder as he leaves, leaving Tony to laugh at Bucky's huff as the man stood up to follow Steve. 

"I was still first," the man grumbles good-naturedly, and Tony rolls his eyes as he follows. 

"Honestly, it's not a competition you two," he says, "If you want to play that game, _I_ have been 'Daddy' and 'Dad' for months now." 

"Yeah, yeah, Tones, we get it," Steve says, looking up from the counter, which was now covered in various ingredients. 

"I'm just saying," 

Tony and Bucky both sit at the table, content to watch Steve as he makes the batter for the pancakes, allowing Aniyah to help him with each new ingredient. By the time they're pouring the stuff onto the griddle, they are both covered in the excess of said batter- specifically the flour that went into it. Tony and Bucky both laugh heartily at the pair, though that's quickly ended when they suddenly find themselves bombarded with messy hands, smearing everything all over them. 

Peter walks in on this scene, freezing as he takes in Bucky and Tony laughing and squirming under Aniyah and Steve's assault, all four of them covered from head to in the mess. 

"Well, that's not something you see everyday," he says, concealing his own laughter behind his hand. Aniyah's face lights up as she jumps off Tony's lap to rush over to Peter smearing what was left on her hands onto his pants as she flung her arms around him. "Well, good morning to you," he says, laughing despite himself.

"Morning, Petey, Dad and I are making pancakes," Aniyah chirps running back over to her chair, Steve close behind her, the man rushing to flip the pancakes before they burn. 

"I can see that," Peter says, moving to sit next to Bucky and Tony, who are trying to wipe themselves clean to no avail, "I can also see that Dad and Pop over here are _wearing_ your pancakes." He ignores the startled, slightly pleased, look that Bucky shoots at him, focusing all his attention on Aniyah.

"They were laughing at us, cuz we got the batter everywhere," she says, pouting slightly, and Peter has to work to school his expression, barely restraining himself from laughing. 

"Well, _that_ wasn't nice," he says, turning to fix the pair in question with mock stern looks, _"_ You two should be _ashamed_ , laughing at them like that."

Bucky and Tony both manage to pull guilty expressions, each of them offering their apologizes to the girl. Aniyah, seemingly pleased with their efforts, returns to helping Steve, a smile firmly plastered on her face. 

Breakfast goes smoothly, Peter and Aniyah both taking over cleaning the kitchen while the three adults all go to clean themselves. Fortunately, Aniyah managed to stay mostly clean, Steve determining that a simple wipe down with a wet cloth will suffice for her.

Everyone's is in a great mood until Tony receives a text from Pepper informing him that he needs to be at the airport by noon. He sighs, looking on to the scene that his family makes in the living room.

Peter is sitting at the coffee table, working on his homework, while Bucky, Steve, and Aniyah all sit on the couch, _The Little Mermaid_ playing in the background _._ Aniyah is cuddled up between the pair, eyes glued to the movie, as Steve and Bucky share a quiet conversation above her. It's a peaceful, domestic scene that Tony loathes to break up, but unfortunately, he has too. 

He crosses the living room, picking up the remote and pausing the movie, all while nudging Peter in the side with his leg. All eyes turn to him, Aniyah looking a bit upset that her movie was interrupted. 

"I have to leave by noon, Buck, can you come with me?" Tony leaves it at that, leaving Bucky to read the unspoken meaning of his words. 

_I need you with me. I won't get on the plane unless you're there._ Bucky shoots him a knowing smile as he nods his head. 

"Of course, Doll." he shifts his position, bringing Aniyah in for a hug, ruffling her hair soothingly. "When do you want to leave?"

"Probably in the next couple minutes, I don't' want to risk getting caught up in traffic for too long."

"Alright," Bucky hands Aniyah over to Steve, "I'll go get my shoes and jacket," he exits the room, disappearing up the stairs.

"Aniyah?" Tony calls, drawing his teary-eyed daughters attention, "Come here for a moment, sweetheart," Aniyah obeys, pulling away from Steve and moving to stand in front of Tony, who pulls her up into his arms for a hug. "I know this is hard, but I promise you're going to be just fine here with Papa and Dad, okay?" he purposely uses the new endearments to refer to Steve and Bucky, hoping it will relax the girl just a bit. It works, and Aniyah nods her head against his shoulder, sniffling slightly.

"Okay, Daddy, I'll miss you, though." 

"I'll miss you too baby girl, every day," he sets her down and watches as she returns to Steve, opting to climb right into his lap, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. Tony then turns to Peter, crouching down next to him. 

"You sure you'll be okay, kiddo?" he asks quietly, and Peter nods, fiddling slightly with his pencil, "You know, I'll miss you too, right?" 

"Yeah Dad, I know, I'll miss you as well. I just don't want to upset Aniyah anymore by reacting anymore than this. "

"You're an excellent big brother, you know? I'm so proud of you, Pete," he presses a quick kiss to Peter's forehead, before straightening, just in time for Bucky to reappear down the stairs. 

"Rady to go?" he asks, shrugging on his jacket. 

"Yeah, ready," Tony moves over to stand by Bucky, grabbing his bag and shrugging on his suit jacket, "I'll call you later Aniyah, I love you. I love you too, Pete, text me when you get to Ned's later today." 

"I love you too, Dad, and I will," Peter calls, focused on his homework once more. Aniyah is peeking at Tony over STeve's shoulders, eyes puffy from all her crying. 

"I love you, Daddy," she calls as Tony and Bucky get on the elevator, "come home soon." Tony smiles, waving, as the door closes, leaning against the wall after it does, covering his face with his hand. 

"It's okay, Doll, she'll be fine," Bucky says quietly, pulling Tony to rest against his side, grabbing the bag out of the smaller man's hand. 

"I know Buck, this is just new for me as well. I haven't had to be this far away from her, for this long, since she moved in."

"That's understandable Tones, but just know that everything will be okay. Steve and I have it under control, she'll adjust, and you'll have someone - four someones, in fact- waiting for you when all this is over." 

Tony nods, pressing into Bucky side, and inhaling slowly, pushing down the brief flash of panic. He could have sworn that was taken care of last night, but no matter, he just has to remind himself that Bucky and Steve are right.

_Everything is okay, everything is going to turn out as it should._

Tony repeats that to himself over and over, as he is boarding his private jet, forty-five minutes later. He pauses long enough to wave at Bucky, who is standing next to Happy, taking him in one last time, before the door closes. He quickly seats himself across from Pepper, who smiles at him.

"Everything worked out?" she asks, and Tony nods, looking out at the runway, noticing that both Happy and Bucky are gone. 

"Yeah, everything's fine," he says, as the jet starts up, quickly gaining speed and lifting up until they are steadily rising into the sky above them. "Everything worked out just fine," 


	18. Put in place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanda goes to far and Steve has to step in. (Spoiler; he is not happy. At all.)

True to what Steve expected, Aniyah adjusted to Tony's absence within a week after his departure. Besides Tony being gone, everything else stays almost exactly the same. 

Aniyah spends most of her time with whoever is at home, doing various activities. With Steve, she spends most of her time doing something artsy while a movie plays in the background, cooking or backing in the kitchen, or spending a few hours in the park. With Bucky, there's a lot of reading, movies, board games, afternoon walks, and such involved. She has a specific amount of time in the early evening she is allowed to go down to the lab, with supervision, to work on whatever little project she has. 

On her appointment days, Bucky drives her to her therapist's office and waits for her out in the lobby. She still is tired, almost suspiciously so, after each appointment, but each time her therapist spouts off some explanation about having a draining conversation, and Bucky is forced to accept it. The last thing anything needs is for conflict to arise while the peace is still strained so soon after 

Peter goes to school, comes home, does his homework, eats dinner, does his chores, and spends an hour or two in the evening with Aniyah. He's still permitted to visit his friends' houses on the weekend. He has a handful of doctors appointments -which Bucky takes him too- and school events -something that Steve and Bucky alternate on. 

The only thing that really changed is the fact that Friday night dinners are now spent on the communal floor with the rest of the Avengers. It is then that Steve and Bucky pick up on the tension between Aniyah and Wanda. Both work to keep them separated, but there are still times the pair get a bit to close to each other. 

Aniyah, despite being a loving, kind child to nearly everyone she meets, seems to disklike Wanda quite a bit. It's probably because Wanda seems to treat her with the same distance as she does, Tony -something that she doesn't take kindly too. Whether it's aimed towards her or her Daddy. 

Wanda, as mentioned before, does indeed treat Aniyah with a sense of distaste, almost bordering on despisal or even hatred. Her snide remarks, underhand insults, and overall lousy attitude ruffle Aniyah the wrong way, leading to a few spats here or there. However, one specific Friday night a few weeks after Tony's depature was the night that Steve finally decided to intervene. 

At first, he tried to stay neutral, taking both Aniyah and Wanda aside and asking them to drop the bickering, and at least get along somewhat. However, the moment that Wanda attempted to use her powers on Aniyah -whether it was intentional or not- was the moment Steve put his foot down. 

Bucky would later claim he had never seen Steve move so fast than he did the moment he saw the red, snake-like tendrils, reach for Aniyah. Within seconds Steve was across the living room, and Aniyah was in his arms while said man glared venom at the shocked woman standing feet away. 

"Don't you  _ dare  _ hurt my child," Steve snarls, barely noticing Bucky running up behind him. 

Bucky was shaking from barely contained rage himself, and in the end, he had to admit he wasn't stable and excused himself to go up to the penthouse. Peter followed right on his heels, though only after he ensured, Aniyah was safe with Steve. 

"Steve, I wasn't going to  _ do  _ anything," Wanda says, aghast as she takes in Steve's protective stance and the blue eyes glaring daggers at her. "That  _ brat  _ was being snobby and disrespectful. Just like her father," the last part is muttered quietly, but Steve catches it easily. 

"Okay, that's it," he snarls, taking a few steps closer to Wanda, handing Aniyah over to Clint, who stepped forward soon after Bucky left. The rest of the Avengers are all watching on with varied expressions of curiosity, shock, and anger. "You listen to me, and you listen well. I don't want another negative comment about Tony or either of the kids again. Tony has been kind enough to offer a place to stay, no you will listen to me," he waves a hand in the air, cutting of Wanda before she could utter a word. "Tony has been kind enough to let us stay here, free of charge. HE has housed us, fed us, provided us with clothing and any amenities we might need. You need to treat him with respect, he has done nothing but be respectful and given the utmost hospitality to  _ all  _ of us. He is  _ not  _ the evil man you believe him to be, you'd realize that if you'd actually take the time to get to know him."

That said, he flips around, taking Aniyah from Clint, and heads for the elevator. "Also," he pauses at the doors, glancing back at Wanda, "this  _ brat  _ is not only Tony's daughter but mine and Bucky's as well. You say something bad to or about her, or you hurt her, and we're going to have a problem. Furthermore, if I  _ ever see  _ you use your powers outside of what's necessary, you are off the team, and I will personally turn you in to the authorities." With that, he steps onto the elevator, leaving Wanda to stare after him in shock. 

"Wait! Steve," she calls, stepping forward, but the doors close, cutting off whatever she was about to say. 

"Why don't we go check on you brother and Papa kiddo?" he murmurs to Aniyah, who simply nods tiredly, resting her head on his shoulder. "Okay, Dad," she mumbles quietly, rubbing her hand over his cheek, "I love you," 

"I love you too baby," Steve says, pressing a quick kiss to her head as the doors open up to the penthouse. 


	19. Resolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aniyah and Wanda have a heart to heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I apologize for my slight absence and lag in posting these chapters. I've been dealing with some stuff within my personal life that has kept me away from writing. I apologize if the quality of these next two chapters isn't on par with the others. Anyways, enjoy!

The tense atmosphere that followed Steve's argument with Wanda left everyone on edge for the following days. By the end of the week, the general bad mood was rubbing off on everyone, including Aniyah and Peter. 

Every time Wanda would try to approach Steve, or even Bucky, the pair would ignore her, only acknowledging her presence with icy glares. As for Aniyah, she found herself torn between how she should feel- an enormous dilemma for someone her age. On one hand, she's still upset over the things Wanda said about her and her Daddy, but on the other, she can't help but feel bad for her. 

Since the fight, Wanda does little else but mope around, looking like a kicked puppy dog whenever one of the other Avenger's are about. Everyone, to an extent, separated themselves from Wanda, if only to save themselves from Steve's wrath. It was easy to forget that Steve is very much a threat to anyone he so wishes to be, and getting on his bad side is not a good idea. Still, it was a bit surprising that it was  _ Wanda  _ that he was so mad at. 

From the beginning he was adamant on not blaming Wanda for her mistakes, emphasizing on the fact that she was still young enough to be considered a kid. Even now, she's barely considered an adult, though most of the others understand that she did go too far. Usage of any non-human abilities is heavily restricted outside of training sessions, and in the future, missions. Wanda knew that using her magical skills is something that was against the agreement they all made when they were cleared of their charges. What's worse, she attempted to use them on the daughter of one of their teammates. They all understood  _ why  _ Steve was so upset, but everyone was a bit surprised at how angry he really was and to what extent his threats may be truthful. 

Following the incident, Aniyah and Peter's time on the communal floor is limited. Peter passes through for a moment in the mornings sometimes, usually on his way to school. Sometimes he shows up in the afternoons, homework in hand, needing a change of scenery. Aniyah only comes down if Steve or Bucky is with her, and even then, it's not that often. Clint and Natasha occasionally go up to the penthouse to spend time with her, Bucky, and Steve, but besides that, she practically disappears. 

Which is why everyone is shocked when she steps off the elevator early one morning, alone. Everyone was busy preparing breakfast and setting the table when she appeared, causing everything to turn to a standstill. Natasha was the first one to recover. 

"Good morning, Aniyah," she says quietly, circling the counter to crouch down in front of the girl. "What are you doing?" 

"Morning Aunt Nat," Aniyah replies, "I came to see if I can talk to Miss. Maximoff." 

Everyone stares at her in shock, the deafening silence engulfing the room for several long moments until a soft, voice speaks up.

"Me?" Wanda says, looking down at Aniyah, voice a mixture of shock and confusion. "Why do you want to talk to me?" For once, the usual derision is absent from her voice, replaced with genuine curiosity, and maybe a bit of hope. 

"I wanted to say sorry for what I said to you. Momma used to always say that you need to apologize if you do something wrong. What I said was very mean, and so I wanted to say sorry." 

"Oh," Wanda, pauses for a few moments, seeming unsure of herself. "I'm... sorry as well. I guess I haven't been very fair to you." 

Aniyah shrugs, "You're angry at my Daddy, and so you thought since you can't say anything to him, you'd find someone else. That someone just happened to be me." Everyone in the room is flabbergasted at the calm, sensible words and tone coming from the girl. Despite being Tony's daughter, it still came as a surprise how intelligent Aniyah really is. At only four years old, she is capable of understanding how Wanda was pinning her anger towards Tony on her and even is mature enough to apologize for what she said the other week, despite that. 

"You're, not wrong. But it was still wrong of me to pin that on you." Wanda slowly moves forward, crouching down to put herself on level with Aniyah. 

"I know why you're so angry at my Daddy," Aniyah suddenly says, barely acknowledging the others as they slowly slip out of the kitchen, only Clint remaining behind. The man has his eyes fixed on the pair feet away from him, ready to intervene should either one try to do something. 

"Really? Why do you think I'm angry?" Wanda says, curious despite herself. 

"You think my Daddy was responsible for killing your family," the words are blunt, and a shock coming from the mouth of a four-year-old. Wanda has to remind herself just who's daughter she is talking to. If anything, she will admit Stark is a genius, incredibly intelligent, and capable of quite a bit. She notes that it is plausible that this child will be this smart, despite her incredibly young age. 

"He was," Wanda snaps out, a bit of her derision leaking back into her voice.

"Actually, Miss. Maximoff, Boss never approved anything that allowed those weapons to be sold. Boss rarely approved his weapons being sold to anyone outside of the U.S government, and he was horrified when he learned that Obadiah Stane, the man that arranged for Boss to be killed in Afghanistan as well as the man who tried to later kill Boss himself, was making deals with a terrorist group. The very same one that kidnapped Boss and held him captive for quite some time. The weapons division of SI has long been shut down, and the only time Boss ever creates a weapon is for one of the Avengers, or for the Iron Man suit." 

FRIDAY's sudden interruption started both Wanda and Aniyah, but by the end of the AI's explanation, Wanda's anger has dissolved into confusion. 

"But the shells had Starks logo plastered all over them, who else could have approved it but Stark himself?" Wanda says in disbelief, glancing to and fro, not entirely sure where to be looking when addressing the AI. 

"If you haven't noticed yet, Tony  _ isn't  _ his company." Clint's quiet voice startles Wanda again, causing her to jerk her head in the archer's direction. Clint barely acknowledges this, continuing to speak as if she had never reacted. "He's not always responsible for what goes on, and usually if it's something that bad he's not even aware of it. Tony isn't an inherently evil person like you want to think he is Wanda."

"He killed my family," Wanda grits out, and her ire only rises as Clint shakes his head. 

"Technically, Tony didn't kill anyone. He's not the one that set off the weapon, nor is he the one that ordered the attack."

"He  _ made  _ the weapons Clint,"

"I get that kid," Clint's voice suddenly softens, and Wanda reels for a moment caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Tony himself admits that he was wrong in creating those weapons, he regrets it deeply, but you can't blame him for the choices of others. That'd be like blaming Bucky for what HYDRA did to him, or blaming you for doing what you had to for survival. We all make mistakes, some bigger than others, but the difference about Tony is, he always fixes them. Tony, from what I understand, nearly worked himself to death for the last year trying to fix the mess we  _ all  _ made. He wasn't in his right mind when he created Ultron, none of us were really. Also, don't forget that you worked with Ultron until you realized his true intentions. I have come to realize I can't blame Tony for making mistakes, or for things he didn't do when I have made some terrible mistakes, as have the rest of that."

With that, he sets Aniyah down on her feet, ruffling her hair, before he turns and leaves the room, leaving Wanda standing in the middle of the room, Aniyah lingering at the door. For a few minutes, neither of them says anything, but eventually, Aniyah turns as if to leave. Wanda reacts before she even realizes what she's doing, moving forward quickly to grab the girls arm, not harshly, but still in an urgent manner. 

"I'm..." she pauses for a minute, staring down at the tiny girl looking back up at her. Brown eyes, so much like Tony's blink up at her, the slender face framed by brown ringlets. "I'm sorry, really sorry. It was wrong, and maybe I need to try and work things out with.. with Tony." the name has to be forced out, but Wanda feels as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. She feels lighter than she has in years. 

"It's okay Miss. Maximoff, and I'm sure Daddy wouldn't mind talking to you when he gets back from his trip." she smiles brightly up at Wanda, who offers a small smile back. "You're welcome to come upstairs whenever you like," Aniyah suddenly says, and Wanda is left speechless for a moment. 

"Really?" she asks, slightly bemused. 

"Uh-huh, I don't mind, and neither will Dad or Papa once I tell them that we both apologized to each other. At least I think. But anyway, I can show you my projects, if you want, of course."

_ She's trying to befriend me,  _ Wanda realizes suddenly, and surprisingly, the thought doesn't upset her like it once would have. Instead, she's curious, and grateful, at the prospect of being able to reconcile with not only Aniyah, but also Steve, Bucky, and even Tony. Though that last one will take a while, Wanda can't let go off years of hatred and anger that easily.

"Sure, maybe sometime later this week," Wanda says, slowly, staring down at Aniyah. A grin crosses the girls face, and she suddenly throws her arms around Wanda's middle, catching her off guard with the sudden hug. Before Wanda can react, Aniyah's is gone, and moments later, Wanda can hear the sound of the elevator chiming, announcing the child's departure from that floor. 

Wanda is left in the kitchen, alone, pondering on this new information concerning Stark, as well as the tentative bond that seems to be forming between her and Stark's daughter. 


	20. Major Mishaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aniyah is being sneaky, Peter is panicked, and Bucky has a very important question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to LimeOfMagicLimo, who was so kind as to give me this idea. It will probably continue on in further chapters, but this is just a tidbit. I offer my thanks and the toils of my work. Requests are always appreciated, as well as any critiques, and kudos feed my brain.

Peter planned to eventually tell the others his secret identity. Eventually. He planned to tell them one by one as each one proved to be trustworthy to keep his secret hidden from those he rather not be aware. 

Of course, nothing ever seems to go his way. 

The problem was, it was even him that inevitably exposed himself. 

It was Aniyah. 

She didn't' do it on purpose, of course, and it really was Peter's fault for the most part. He knows better than to leave things like his suit lying around where Aniyah could get at it. He typically is either carrying it with him, or he leaves it hidden away in his closet. 

But of course, the one day he forgets to hid his suit away, Aniyah ends up sneaking into his room. 

Peter is sitting in the kitchen, completing some homework while Steve cooks lunch. It is a typical Saturday for the small family. Bucky was spending some time down in the gym, while Peter keeps Steve company, and Aniyah -presumably- plays in her room. 

In fact, it was that little fact that started this whole fiasco. Steve had allowed Aniyah to play without supervision in her room, needing to get some things done and trusting FRIDAY to inform him should something go wrong. 

They never figured out how Aniyah managed to get into Peter's room without FRIDAY noticing, but somehow she did. So when Steve asks Peter to go check on Aniyah -slightly worried by how quiet she is- the teen did not find her in her room. 

Instead, he found the door to his bedroom open, along with the inside being in complete disarray. And covered almost entirely with Peter's web fluid. Up above, the vent is hanging open, and there is no sign of Aniyah. What really causes Peter to panic, is the sight of his suit on the floor, with the web-shooters missing. 

_ I knew I shouldn't have made them detachable.  _ Peter groans to himself, as he runs out of the room and down the stairs, nearly running into Bucky on the way down. 

"Whoah there kiddo, slow down. What's wrong with you?" theBucky says, catching the teen before he could fall on his face. 

"I... nothing... I just need to uhhh..." 

"Peter, there you are," Steve steps out of the kitchen, spotting the pair quickly. "Was Aniyah okay?"

"Ummm,"

"If I may, Captain Rogers, it appears Miss Aniyah has somehow gotten into the vents without my knowledge." FRIDAY's declaration causes everyone to freeze. Bucky and Steve in shock and horror, and Peter in despair. 

"Can you please repeat that FRIDAY," Steve's voice is shaky, face suddenly extremely pale. 

"Miss. Aniyah is in the vents Captian Rogers, it appears she got through from Mr.Parker's bedroom. 

"Where is she ?" Steve asks, glancing over at Bucky to share a look with him. 

"She is currently in the vents above the Avengers' floor." 

Before FRIDAY is completely done speaking, Peter is heading for the elevator, rapidly pushing the button. He barely notices Steve getting on with him, not seeing, in his frazzled state, that Bucky isn't with them. 

When they get downstairs, they are met with the last thing Peter wanted to see. The room is coated with a thin spray of web fluid, while the rest of the Avengers stand right under said vent, staring up at it with a wide range of expressions. 

"Shit," Peter mutters to himself moving to push through the others, to stand under the vent. He peeks up and immediately spots Aniyah peeking back down at him. 

"Hi Petey!" she chirps, waving a hand at him. Peter instantly spots one of his web-shooters in Aniyah's hand. 

"What is is that hse has?" Natasha asks quietly, "she just appeared out of nowhere and started spraying this stuff everywhere."

"Uhm, I'm not sure. Maybe she found one of Dad's tech items or something. It must have been laying around somewhere upstairs," Peter feels bad for lying, but at this time, he can't tell them what the device actually is without giving them the whole truth. 

"Isn't it cool Aunt. Tash! I found it in Petey's room."

_ Double shit.  _ Peter internally groans, wanting to sink right through the floor as the others -including Steve- turn to look at him.

"Peter, what is she talking about? I thought you said you didn't know what the device was." Steve asks

"I don't," Peter says quickly.

"But then why was it in your room?"

"I don't know, I-" 

"I have a better question, Peter." Bucky's voice suddenly cuts Peter off, as the man steps around Steve. He fixes the teen with a look and holds up his left hand. Peter's stomach drops to his feet as he recognizes the undeniable red and black of his Spider-Man suit. "Why was  _ this  _ in your room?" 


	21. Resolved Issues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter reveals his identity as Spider-Man, Tony receives a phone call, and a crisis is averted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I'm sorry it's taken so long to get this chapter out. I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues at home and it's kept me from writing. I'm trying to organize my schedule enough so I can get back into posting regularly. I hope you like this chapter, I'm not so positive that I like it but it's the best I can come up with. Anyways, enjoy the chapter and like always comments are welcome and kudos feed my brain.  
> -Daz

Peter remains frozen in his place, staring open-mouthed at Bucky, eyes flickering between him and the suit still clutched in his hand. Steve was also staring blankly at Bucky, struggling to comprehend precisely what this new development means.

"Ummmmm... it's a...project..?" Peter aims for a casual tone of voice, but fails miserably, the sentence coming out as more of a question than an assertion. 

"Mmmm, that's funny. Considering this is the exact suit that one kid at the airport back in Germany wore."

"Look-" 

"Are you _Spider-Man_?" Steve finally seems to find his voice and speaks up with a question of his own."

"I... um.... yeah, I am." Peter sighs, running his hand through his hair, mussing it up more than it was before.

"How could Tony let a _kid_ do that?" Clint's voice suddenly speaks up from behind them, and it sounds utterly horrified. Peter groans and shakes his head, rushing to correct the archer before everyone could form the wrong assumption. 

"No, no, I was doing this long before I met Dad. I was running around in a suit made of cloth. He made me that one, and he has protocols I have to follow; there's an extensive amount of safety precautions within that suit. He didn't want to let me do it really, but when we met, he was desperate, and the only thing he _could_ do is make sure I'm as safe as I can be. Tell them FRIDAY." Peter glances up at the ceiling, praying that the AI will back him up.

"Mr.Parker is right. Boss ensures that Mr.Parker is safe as he can be while on patrol, and if he didn't know how much this means to Mr.Parker, he would have forbidden him from continuing long ago."

"See, Dad knows how much being Spider-Man means to me. I _swear_ I'm being safe, there is security camera footage you can watch if you want. I also have a curfew. I promise I-"

"Peter, slow down Bud," Bucky steps forwards, placing his hands on the teen's shoulders. "We're not mad kiddo; we're just worried. I didn't know what to think when I found the... _your_ suit when I was cleaning your room. I guess I should have expected it. I noticed that you were oddly.. quiet during the evenings. You told us you were doing homework. I guess you were.." he trails off, and Peter nods, rubbing the back of his head. 

"Yeah, I've been going out in the evening. I knew no one would bother me as long as you thought I was doing homework." A sheepish look crosses over Peter's face when both Bucky and Steve fix him with reprimanding looks. 

"That's not okay, Peter, we need to be able to trust you to do what you tell us you're doing," Steve says, but Peter can see a small grin twitching at the edges of his mouth. Bucky, however, only snorts. Quite loudly. 

"Man, I _still_ have trouble believing that you're my Stevie. Running around playing the hero, fighting things twice your size and strength...." he trails off for a moment, seeming to get lost in thought. "You know what. Nevermind. You're still _exactly_ the same." 

Everyone bursts into laughter, except Steve, of course, who instead turns a bright red and smacks Bucky on the back of the head. "I'm was _never_ that stupid Buck..." he grumbles, pulling and incredulous look from the other man. 

"Are you _kidding_ me right now?! I can go on for _hours_ about all the idiotic things you did back when we were kids, and I'm sure your teammates here have some stories to tell."

"Oh boy, do we," Clint says suddenly, and evil grin crossing over his face. It fades, however, morphing into one of grudging resignation when Steve turns and fixes him with a death glare. "Fine, fine, forget I said anything." 

"Can we _please_ get back to the more pressing matter at hand. What are we going to do about... _this._ " Steve waves his hand between Peter and his suit, still clutched in Bucky's hand. He meets Bucky's gaze, and the two of them are silent for several long moments, seeming to come to a silent agreement. 

"Excuse us," Steve suddenly says to the others, pausing only to glance up at the vent, seeming torn between getting Aniyah -who has been forgotten up until that moment- and dealing with Peter. 

"I'll get her down," Natasha says quietly, waving him away with her hand, "go deal with that." 

"Thanks, Nat," Steve says gratefully, motioning for Peter and Bucky to follow him back to the elevator. As soon as the doors close, he turns to face Peter. The teen is standing as far away as he can get, looking remorseful, as he should in Steve's opinion. 

"We're going to call your Dad and discuss this... _situation._ I have a few _choice_ words for Tony about hiding this from us," he grumbles the last part to himself, shifting agitatedly. He relaxes slightly, shooting Bucky a grateful look as the man reaches up to rub away the tension forming in his shoulders. 

"Relax Stevie," the man mutters, "I'm sure Tony has his reasons." 

Steve snorts. "It better be a damn good reason, or he and I are going to have a _talk_ when he gets back."

................................................................................................................

As soon as the video feed pops up on Tony's screen, he immediately knows he is in _deep shit_ with Steve and Bucky. He can practically _see_ the tension radiating off of both Steve and Bucky despite only being able to see them through the screen. He also sees the simmering anger in Steve's eyes, and he subconsciously shifts in his seat, clearing his throat awkwardly before speaking. 

"Hey Stevie, Buck, what can I do for you two."

"I'm so _thrilled_ you asked Tony. You see, this morning, it came to my attention that Aniyah was... well missing. Don't worry, we found her," the words are quickly spoken when he saw the panic flash across Tony's face. "Anyways, it turns out she managed to get into the vents, and do you, my dear, know just _how_ she managed to do that?"

"Ummm," Tony offers a small grin, not liking at all where this is going. 

"Turns out, she used some _web fluid_ to get up there. Web fluid from a certain suit. A certain suit that Bucky found in Peter's room. One that looks like _this."_ he holds up the suit, and a myriad of emotions goes across Tony's face. Peter peeks his head into the view of the camera, throwing an apologetic look at Tony behind his other two parents' backs." 

"Steve, I understand you're upset-"

"That's putting it _lightly,_ Tony." 

"Let Tony speak Stevie," Bucky squeezes Steve's shoulders, and Steve relents slightly, leaning back into the couch.

"As I was saying, I understand you're upset, but I promise I hid it for a good reason. Peter takes the secrecy of his alternate identity very seriously, he doesn't want it to turn mainstream. I was going to tell you two, but I just hadn't had the chance really to bring it up, and I hadn't asked him if he was okay with you two knowing. He didn't even tell his Aunt; she found out by accident months after he started. I just figured it would be easier to let him decide when to tell everyone. In hindsight, I can see that we waited too long." 

Steve thinks about this for a moment before nodding slowly. "That's... understandable. I can see why Peter's identity remaining a secret being important to him, I just wish you had _told_ us, Tony. I... love him just as much as you do Tones, and thinking about him running around New York fighting criminals scares me. But..." he waves his hand, cutting off whatever Peter was going to say as well as halting Tony is his tracks as well. Both snap their mouths shut and let him continue to speak.

"I'm not going to stop him. It's obvious that being Spider-Man is important to him, and I'm not going to take that from him. _However_ , there are going to be more rules set into place. I want to know when you're going out, you better either answer your cell or call me back when I call you, and the first time you miss curfew... I don't know what's going to happen, but it won't be pretty." 

Peter nods is assent, looking relieved that he wasn't going to be forced to stop being Spider-Man. Tony nods his head, deciding it would be in his best interest _not_ to tell Steve that _technically_ all those rules were in place in the first place. The only difference is that now Peter has to answer to Steve, and probably Bucky too. Which speaking of Bucky, Tony fixes his gaze on the silent man, trying to discern his reaction to this whole situation.

"Buck?" he asks, somewhat tentatively, only to be left for several moments of tense silence, as Bucky regards him wordlessly. Finally, he speaks. 

"I am agreeable to those terms," he says quietly, and both Tony and Peter relax. 

_Crisis averted._ Tony thinks to himself, releasing a small huff of air as he leans back in his seat. He shoots a grin at Peter, who nervously returns it, still keeping an eye on Steve and Bucky -mostly Steve- out of the corner of his eye. "Well, if that's all, I have a meeting I have to get to..."

"We'll let you get to that," Steve says, leaning forward in his seat and fixing the other man with a look. "But Tony," he waits until brown eyes flicker over to meet his, a questioning -and nervous- look crossing over the genius's face "we _will_ be having a discussion about your... choice to hide this from us when you return." 

Tony huffs a laugh nodding his head. "Of course, Capsicle," he says quietly, rubbing the back of his head. "I wouldn't expect anything else." 

"We love you, Tony," Bucky says, and both Steve and Peter tack on their own endearments, but before the call could end, Aniyah pops up out of nowhere, Natasha's voice carrying behind her giggles. 

"Aniyah! Get back here, your Dad and Papa aren't going to like this!" Natasha catches up just as Aniyah scrambles over the back of the couch, landing right in Steve's lap. 

"Hi Daddy!" she yells, waving excitedly at the screen, shoulders rising and falling rapidly as she struggles to catch her breath.

"Hey, sweetheart, I miss you." Tony says quietly, leaning forward in his seat, "I heard about what happened this morning." he fixes the young girl with a stern look, causing Aniyah to grin sheepishly. "You need to be good for you, Dad and Papa, you hear me?" 

"Yes, Daddy," the young girl mumbles, and Tony relaxes, face morphing into a smile. 

"I love you, sweetheart," 

"I love you too Daddy," 

With that, Tony waves his hand, throwing a smile in Natasha's direction, and the feed cuts out. For a few moments, silence reigns, broken suddenly by Natasha, who swoops down and scoops Aniyah off of Steve's lap, swinging the giggling girl up into a hug. 

"I say, we go find something for lunch, what do you say little miss?" Aniyah giggles, nodding along, arms coming up to wrap around Natasha's neck. 

"Yeah, I'm hungry!" she fixes Steve and Bucky with a pleading look, pulling laughs from all three of the adults. 

"Alright, I guess we can postpone cleaning up until after we eat something. We might as well drag the others along with us." Steve stands up as he speaks, holding out his arms for Aniyah, who happily reaches for him, cuddling into his arms. 

Bucky and Peter nod silently, standing and following after the blonde, Peter adverting his eyes as Natasha tries to catch his gaze. The woman sighs, shaking her head, before reaching out to ruffle his hair affectionately. 

"Come on, come on!" Aniyah yells from the elevator, and the pair turn to see Bucky, Steve, and the -quite impatient- four-year-old waiting in the bin. 

"Come on, then Spider-Kid, let's feed your sister before she causes more trouble."

"It's Spider- _Man_ Aunt Nat," Peter huffs out, though the sharp words are tempered by the grin that spreads over the teen's face. With that said, the little group heads off to round up the rest of their family. 


	22. Home Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony returns home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I am so so sorry about being gone for so long. I've spent the last several months in and out of the hospital and just haven't had the energy to write. I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things and create a more steady schedule for updates. Hope you like this addition, it didn't turn out quite how I expected.

It was a happy day in the Tower when Steve and Bucky got wind that Tony was heading home that Friday. After a serious discussion over the phone with Tony himself, the pair decided it would be best to keep the information from Aniyah and Peter until Thursday evening. The last thing they needed was an overexcited Aniyah, and Peter can't keep a secret from her on a good day. 

Thursday rolled around quickly enough, and the two super soldiers decided to hold a team dinner down on the common floor to reveal the news to the two - along with the rest of the team who was still quite unaware themselves. 

Food was quickly passed around and plated, idle conversation sprouted at all ends of the table. Aniyah sits quietly next to Bucky, smiling and nodding along to the story Peter is telling her about his chemistry class. Clint and Natasha get involved too, asking questions, laughing at just the right moments, things of that nature. Finally, Steve clears his throat, silencing the conversations, and drawing the attention of everyone at the table. 

"So, Tony called me earlier this week," Steve starts, and almost immediately, Aniyah is staring in rapt attention at him. Anything to do with her Daddy, and she perks right up. 

"Really, how's he doing?" Natasha asks quietly, spearing some broccoli on her fork, there's a knowing smile on her face though, so Bucky suspects that she knows more than she lets on. Not surprising, really. 

"Well, he's coming home tomorrow."

There's a moment of silence before it is broken by Aniyah, letting out an excited squeal, eyes sparkling with joy. "Really?!"

"Yep," Steve laughs, leaning back in his chair to regard the bouncing girl with a look of amusement and fondness. "We're going to pick him up sometime tomorrow afternoon."

"Yay! Daddy's finally coming home!" Aniyah yells, bouncing in her seat rapidly, shaking on Bucky's arm, "Hear that Papa?! Daddy's coming home!"

"He sure is darlin," Bucky says, chuckling to himself quietly. The others at the table join in, unable to prevent themselves from laughing at the girl's antics. 

By the time Aniyah is put down for bed that night, she probably repeated the same words about fifty separate times to anyone and everyone that will listen. Peter is also excited, happy that things will finally return to the usual normal. Not that the last few weeks haven't been pleasant, he's just glad Tony's going to be around again. 

The next morning sees a hyperactive Aniyah practically bouncing off the walls. Steve barely manages to get her to slow down enough to eat breakfast. However, the real problem comes when Aniyah finds out that she and Peter are being left with Natasha and Clint while Steve and Bucky go pick Tony up from the airport.

"But I wanna go with you!" she whines as Steve pulls on his shoes, she crosses her arms over her chest, bottom lip trembling adorably. 

"I know you do sweetheart, but we don't know when Daddy's supposed to land. It's really boring sitting at the airport, you'll have lots of fun with Auntie Nat and Uncle Clint." 

"But Daaaaaaad," she whines, pulling an amused chuckle from Steve as he pulls her in for a hug. 

"I know, sweet girl, but I promise your Papa, and I will be back with Daddy as soon as we can."

"Come on, kid, we're going to have lots of fun. We can play a game, color, watch a movie, play a prank on Uncle Sam. Whatever you want." Clint suddenly says from behind Steve, he steps closer, holding a hand out to the girl. 

"Okay fine," Aniyah grumbles as she steps out of Steve's arms, reaching out to take Clint's hand. The pair cross the room to where Peter and Natasha stand talk by the elevator. The four of them step onto the elevator, and with a quick wave from Peter and Aniyah, they disappear. 

Steve sighs quietly, crouching down to finish tying up his shoes. He's so concentrated on that task, he doesn't notice Bucky behind him until a pair of arms wrap around his waist, warm lips pressing against the base of his throat. 

"Ready to go?" Bucky murmurs against his neck, the feeling of his lips brushing against Steve's skin, pulling a shudder from the blonde. 

"Yeah, let me just grab my wallet." Steve straightens and moves off to the kitchen, grabbing his wallet and heading back to Bucky. "Alright, let's go."

Bucky nods, curling an arm around Steve's waist and leading him to the elevator.   
................................................................................................................

Three and a half hours later, Steve and Bucky watch as Tony steps off the jet stairs, Pepper close behind him. The man doesn't notice them at first, to catch up in his conversation with the woman. Pepper is the first to see them, but she doesn't bring Tony's attention to them just yet. 

Steve finally can't wait any longer, shifting his weight and raising his hands to cup around his mouth. "Hey there, hot stuff, need a ride?" he calls, and Tony flips around to face them, eyes wide. It only takes a moment for his brain to catch up with what he's seeing, and a brilliant smile crosses his face. Pepper waves him off with a smile, and he drops his bags, crossing the few feet between him and his boyfriends at a run, throwing his arms around Bucky- who just happens to be the closest.

"Hey babe," Bucky murmurs, pulling him up for a kiss. The cold November air bites at their skin, the harsh wind already turning Tony's nose red. Steve smiles =, waving at Pepper as she is helped into the other car by an unfamiliar man. Happy stands just behind them, waiting patiently by the back doors of one of Tony's, many, limos. 

As soon as Bucky pulls back, Steve steals Tony into his own embrace, pulling him in for a kiss of his own. "Hey, Tones," he whispers, bumping their noses together gently, "I missed you." 

"Hey," Tony laughs, face split into a wide grin as he looks between Bucky and Steve, "I missed both of you too. It's been torture. 

"Let's get you home and warmed up, there's a certain little girl and a teenaged boy waiting for us. The others are also excited to see you." 

"Mmmhmmm," Tony hums, nuzzling closer to Steve, who looks over at Bucky with a knowing look. 

"Come on, baby, let's get into the car." he leads Tony over to the vehicle, convincing him to look up long enough to greet Happy, who seems amused by his lack of awareness. He opens the back door and let the three men in, waiting until they're situated in the back. Tony settles himself between Steve and Bucky, barely letting go of the blonde long enough to get his seatbelt on. 

"He must have really missed you two, I've never seen him like this." the man says before he closes the door and circles around to the front seat. As soon as he gets in, he closes the divider between the front and the back, giving the three men some privacy. 

"Hey Doll," Bucky murmurs, shifting closer to the smaller man to press a kiss to the back of his neck, "can you look at me for a moment?"

Brown eyes blink open, Tony shifting enough to glance over at Bucky, his eyes are slightly glazed over, and Bucky sighs. "I'm going to need you to stay with me for a bit longer baby, we have to see the kids and the rest of the team, and then we can spend some time together. Just us." 

Tony sighs, shaking his head slightly, burrowing back into Steve, who grins sheepishly at Bucky, wrapping his arms tight around the smaller man. They both know Tony was mentally and physically exhausted and desperate for some attention and for them to take over and care for him. However, they also knew he would feel guilty later on if he puts off seeing everyone else. Especially the kids. 

"Come on, baby," Steve says, giving Tony one last squeeze and letting go, pushing him upright gently. Tony sighs but obeys, sitting up fully, busying himself with fixing his suit. 

By the time they make it back to the Tower, he's as impeccable as always, not a trace of his previous ruffled, vulnerable appearance visible. The three of them get out of the car, thanking Happy quickly as they cross to get onto the elevator. 

Moments later, the elevator dings, and the doors open to reveal the rest of the team, as well as Aniyah and Peter. Both the kids twist around to look at the elevator, and Aniyah's eyes widen almost comically as an excited scream leaves her. 

"DADDY!" she screams, jumping up and racing across the floor to launch herself at Tony. The man catches her with a laugh, bringing her up for a tight hug. 

"Hey, baby girl, I missed you." 

"I missed you too, Daddy, lots and lots." 

Tony grins and shifts Aniyah enough to free one arm so he can wrap it around Peter he followed Aniyah at a much more sedate pace. He hugs his kids tightly, pressing a kiss to each of their temples. 

"Hey, bud,"

"Hey Dad," Peter mutters from where is face is pressed against Tony's suit jacket, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," with that he sets Aniyah down, grasping each of his kid's hands and crossing to greet the rest of their family. 

The rest of the afternoon passes by quickly, filled with goodnatured conversation, dinner, and a movie. Still, by the time Tony carries Aniyah up to her room and makes sure Peter gets to his own okay, he's even more exhausted than before. 

He stumbles down the stairs to the couch, finding Bucky and Steve flipping through Netflix. Just as he steps into their view, Steve hands Bucky the remotes and gets up, dropping a kiss on Tony's head as he walks past him into the kitchen. 

"I'll get some snacks," he calls over his shoulder, leaving Bucky and Tony alone. 

"Come here, Doll," Bucky says after a moment, setting the remote aside so he can hold his arms out to receive Tony. The man hesitates for only a moment before he relents and crosses the few feet that separate them to climb into his lap. He wraps his legs around Bucky's waist, pressing his body as close as he can get, and burrowing his head in his shoulder. "There you go," Bucky whispers, rubbing his hand up and down Tony's back, "that's it, just relax."

Tony sighs, practically melting against Bucky, head lolling on his shoulder, breaths coming out in soft huffs. Steve walks in about this time, bearing some juice and snacks. He sits down next to Bucky, grabbing the remote from his side and beginning to flip through the movie options again. The snacks and drinks are deposited on the coffee table. 

A few minutes of silence pass by as Steve picks out a movie and turns it down on low, barely enough to be considered background noise. He turns to Tony and Bucky, leaning closer to press a kiss to each of their cheeks. Steve brushes his fingers soothingly over Tony's cheek, relishing in the way he nuzzles his cheek against the gentle digits. 

Tony is floating. Floating somewhere between reality and someplace that's soft, warm, and safe. He can hear Bucky and Steve talking over his heads, though they're speaking to softly for him to make out any words. Not that he could really focus long enough to really comprehend anything. 

He sinks further into the sensation, relishing in the warmth the two other men are providing, happy to remain there endlessly. The exhaustion and stress of the last several weeks took a lot out of him. As it is, it's taking nearly all of his remaining energy to remain somewhat conscious.

He lies there, unknowing of what's going on around him and uncaring of how long it's been. Slowly he starts to come down from his euphoria, gradually becoming aware of what's going on around him. Faintly, he registers that someone is calling his name, he struggles to shift through the fogginess long enough to focus, but overall has to give up. He gives a sleepy whine of protest when his should is shaken gently, but slowly manages to open his eyes blearily. 

Slowly, his unresponsive eyes start to work, and Bucky's face becomes sharper, Tony can see his mouth moving, but the words are faint as if he's talking from far away. He sighs, pressing his forehead against Bucky's collarbone, mouthing at the skin there gently. 

"Tony, I need you to focus for a minute." Bucky's voice finally filters through, and Tony lifts his head up slightly, brown eyes meeting grey. "There you are," Bucky coos, ruffling Tony's hair gently with his metal hand. His other hand comes up to cup Tony's face carefully, fingers rubbing the skin affectionately. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?"

"Mmmm... floaty..." Tony hums out, slumping against Bucky again, pulling a chuckle from the former assassin. 

"Well, you stay like that, okay?"

"Mmmhmm... wheres St've?" the words are slurred slightly, and Bucky can't help the grin that crosses his face because of them. Tony is just too damn cute for his own good sometimes. 

"Steve went to go check on the kids, he'll be back soon," he replies, lifting his arms to wrap around Tony carefully. As if summoned by his name, Steve promptly appears behind them, circling around the couch to settle back into his place beside the other two. 

"The kids are fine," he says, "Peter must've fallen asleep watching a movie, and Aniyah is still right where we left her." He smiles down at Tony, who is still floating somewhere between there and outer space, face mushed up against Bucky's shoulder. "Looks like it might be time for us to head to bed too, I don't know how much longer he's gonna last like that. 

Tony lifts his head long enough to shoot a glare at Steve before it promptly falls back to its original position. "I'm fine," he grumbles but is immediately contradicted by the yawn that takes over. 

"Sure you are sweetheart," Bucky says as he stands up, scooping Tony up with him. "We're just gonna go lay in bed where it's more comfortable." 

"Mmkay," Tony slurs out, completely unaware of being moved as they travel up the stairs, down the hall, and into their room. 

After a bit of struggle, they manage to all get into pajamas and into bed, Tony cuddled between the two of them. As predicted, it takes no time at all for Tony to pass out, the exhaustion from the last few weeks finally catching up with him. 

Bucky flips off the lamp and lies down, quickly followed by Steve. Soon after that, both of them fall asleep, content that their little family is safe and happy.


End file.
